Unter Dem Licht Des Vollmondes
by Gaxxy
Summary: Ludwig was just a blacksmith's apprentice – kept safe within the walls of Relbin along with everyone else. A chance encounter outside the city with a Werewolf called Gil will change both their lives forever. Yaoi Germany/Prussia
1. Prologue

_**Title:**_ Unter dem Licht des Vollmondes (under the light of the full moon)  
><em><strong>Pairings:<strong>_ Germany x Prussia  
><em><strong>Summary:<strong>_ Ludwig was just a blacksmith's apprentice – kept safe within the walls of Relbin along with everyone else. A chance encounter outside the city with a Werewolf called Gil will change both their lives forever.  
><em><strong>Genre:<strong>_ Fantasy/Romance  
><strong><em>Warnings: <em>**Yaoi, swearing, violence, werewolf!Prussia

* * *

><p><em><strong>Prologue<strong>_

In the cloudless sky above Relbin the moon had almost swollen to her fullest, tomorrow night no-one save those few brave and talented souls would be allowed on the other side of the great walls. In preparation they would all be inside the barracks tonight, resting and building up their strength for the full twenty four hours they would be on duty for come sunrise.

What better opportunity was there for a young man to sate his curiosity?

Ludwig had heard the stories of the terrifying beasts who lived chained to the outside of Relbin's walls. Monstrous hounds, he'd been told, with fangs that could slice off a man's limbs through the toughest armour – and claws that were stronger than the hardest diamond. Apparently to take one look at them was enough to freeze the blood of the bravest soldiers.

At least those were the most common speculations – not many people aside from the Handlers saw the beasts after they had been turned. Sometimes they simply looked like feral humans, complete with fangs and claws and wild manes of fur-like hair.

The tales had been twisted and exaggerated so many times that it was hard to tell what was the truth and what was fiction any more.

Now Ludwig wasn't normally a curious man, by nature, however something about the idea that such dangerous beasts lived so close to him and everyone else – and yet were hardly ever seen – just ate away at the young man until he had to go and take a look for himself. Nobody else knew what he was up to that night – Feliciano would have blabbed, and been too scared to come with Ludwig in the first place. If he had even mentioned it to his father then he would have been hit soundly round the ear and Bernhard would have found a way to keep Ludwig from leaving his sight until he got such stupid notions out of his head.

So the apprentice blacksmith had kept his mouth shut about his plans and made his way through the Western Gate. He kept his pace slow and steady, not wanting to bring any unneccessary attention to himself. Ludwig peered around the corner cautiously and took a few steps until he was completely out in the open. It was his first time being on this side of the wall, and Ludwig had to admit that it was somewhat exhilirating.

He heard the dangerous snarl long before he saw the eyes of Hell itself - deep crimson and full of unbridled anger. As soon as those eyes found him Ludwig froze completely, his brain unable to comprehend anything other than the ferocious irises that were boring into him. When the owner of said eyes struck, Ludwig didn't even have time to react with a scream - A lean, muscular, body sent him sprawling to the ground and pinned him down with claws digging into his flesh. Once his back hit the hard ground Ludwig immediately tried to struggle free, eyes widening as he felt warm breath and spit hit his face as the beast hissed angrily mere inches away from him.

Ludwig cursed and desparately kicked his legs, trying to dislodge his assailant. With a feral snarl the red-eyed demon jabbed a sharp knee into Ludwigs side and restrained his legs with its own. _What was I thinking, coming out here alone?_ Ludwig mentally kicked himself as he stared helplessly up into the crimson gaze that was still so close to his own. He was going to die here... or he'd be turned as well! Right now Ludwig wasn't sure which was the more terrifying possibility.

The blinding pain around his right eye caused an agonized scream to tear its way out of the young man's throat as something wet started running down his face. Loud clanking and rushed footsteps alerted Ludwig to the arrival of the beast's Handler, and a couple of others.

A howl of rage echoed around them as the monster was roughly torn off Ludwig, who clutched his injured face as two people helped him to his feet. Ludwig couldn't catch most of the frantic conversation on either side of him, his ears were ringing painfully after the creature's howl. What he could gather though was that he was being rushed to the healer's home. Yelps, howls and snarls rang through the night behind Ludwig - who could only imagine just what the Handler was doing to the beast. Not that Ludwig had much opportunity to dwell on it as he quickly descended into darkness.

* * *

><p>AN: I honestly thought my first big fic for Hetalia would be a GerIta one - but this little plot bunny came to me the other day and I just had to get it out into the open! I can't promise much in terms of update times but I will do my best to upload as frequently as I can manage. So yeah, this is a Germany/Prussia fic, but because of the setting it won't be a quick development . There is also likely to be some angst and drama throughout but I'll try and not make it too depressing!

I'm not sure if I can actually fit more pairings into this but I'm thinking there might be some past GerIta and past PruCan or something like that.

Also here are the relevant ages for this fic - Ludwig is 19, nearly 20  
>Gilbert is 25<br>Feliciano is 20  
>Lovino is 21<p> 


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One**_

"_Foolish brat! I had thought you smarter than this, and now see where your stupidity has led!" Bernhard had snapped at his only son, smacking him right on the ear. Ludwig bit his lower lip, not allowing himself to make a sound – even though it hurt like hell. "You're lucky that beast only took half your sight, my runt." the Blacksmith sighed, resting a hand on his son's shoulder. "Even luckier that you won't get turned from that wound... still, perhaps this will be enough to discourage you from going out there again."_

Ludwig stared out of his window, one hand gingerly touching the bandages covering his now-blind right eye. The Healer had been able to save the eye itself, but it was completely useless to Ludwig now.

As such Bernhard had forbidden Ludwig from continuing his apprenticeship until he full adjusted to this development. Luckily his father hadn't gone so far as to confine him to their home after the incident a week ago. Apparently Ludwig had been punished enough for his foolishness and no further action was necessary.

"Hey, Ludwig? I'm going to make us some dinner! I thought up a new pasta dish that I think you're really going to love! But don't ask me what it is, because it's a secret and you'll see soon enough, anyway!" Ludwig looked over at his best friend, Feliciano Vargas, with a small smile and nodded his consent. Feliciano had been practically attached to his side ever since he'd found out about Ludwig's injury – not that he hadn't had a tendency or clinginess before-hand, it had just escalated in the last week astronomically.

"Sure, go ahead." With what could have passed as a giggle, Feliciano clapped his hands together giddily and bounced his way into the kitchen to get started. Bernhard was away for a couple of days so Feliciano had taken it upon himself to stay and keep Ludwig company instead.

As much as the blond appreciated the sentiment, Feliciano could be quite overbearing without meaning to – and he already needed a break. Besides that, there was something Ludwig had been wanting to do ever since he was attacked. He wanted to go back to the other side of the walls.

Now normally Ludwig was an incredibly practical man, and such thoughts would never have made it anywhere close to the forefront of his rational mind. However, there was something compelling him to go back there and face his attacker, now that the beast would supposedly be in its 'right mind'. Would there be regret for its actions that night? Would it taunt Ludwig? Or would it try and finish the job? He highly doubted the last one, the Handler who was assigned to that one had come to the house the next day to assure them he had given the 'mongrel' exactly what it deserved. Just the way the man had said it with that cruel gleam in his eyes had sent shivers down Ludwig's spine, and not in a pleasant way.

Maybe that was another thing that was drawing him back ... Ludwig was quite a compassionate individual beneath his hard exterior – perhaps he wanted to be sure no real lasting damage had been done on his account.

No matter the reasoning behind it, Ludwig was determined to go back there and already his mind was formulating the plan surrounding it. Every night after dinner, without fail, Feliciano took a siesta which lasted roughly two and a half to three hours. It would take Ludwig twenty minutes, give or take, to make his way to the Western gate so that was forty minutes of the siesta accounted for. Ludwig would have more than enough time, even with his lack of eyesight hindering his normal walking speed, to get there then meet with the beast as well as get back before Feliciano even so much as stirred.

His musings were interrupted by said perpetually happy best friend arriving to announce that dinner was ready. Ludwig allowed himself to get dragged along with a fond expression on his face – he almost felt guilty for the deception he was going to perform on Feliciano but it had to be done for his own peace of mind.

The new recipe Feliciano had come up with really was amazing – Pasta with chicken and sausage in a creamy mushroom sauce. Of course it was topped with a light sprinkling of his family's famous cheese. Truly, Feliciano could easily become a chef for royalty if he wanted to; but the youngest Vargas brother insisted that he just wanted to help with the family merchant business. _"Besides, cooking is my hobby! And Grandpa Callixtus says you should never do what you love for work – it takes away all the passion, you know?"_

"So, do you like it? I tried to keep the garlic to a minimum since I know you don't really like it, Ludwig. Ohh, is there enough sausage in there? I was kind of worried there might not be enough but it was all that was in your storage; don't worry, though, I'll buy some more tomorrow to replace it all!"

Ludwig had to chuckle as he watched his friend ramble on like that. Feliciano was always so eager to please, and really he didn't have to try as hard as he did. Still, that was one of the things Ludwig liked about the bouncy little bubble of sunshine that was Feliciano – and while he might joke about it every so often, Ludwig wouldn't change the other man for the world. "It's wonderful as always, Feliciano." he assured, taking another eager bite of the delicious meal.

~#~#~#~#~#~#

For a moment, Ludwig stood above Feliciano's slumbering figure as he muttered an apology before turning to leave. The going was slightly slower than Ludwig had anticipated, he hadn't really gone anywhere since the incident so he hadn't realised just how much he would need to compensate for the loss of half his eyesight.

The streets were relatively empty so nobody questioned where Ludwig was going, or set him back time-wise by asking if he needed any assistance. For that, at least, he was grateful.

It took closer to twenty five minutes than the expected twenty. Perhaps it wasn't a huge difference, but Ludwig had to keep track of every minute in order to make it back home before Feliciano woke up. The blond paused briefly once he was past the Western Gate – glancing around to make sure that large Handler wasn't around. A wave of relief washed over Ludwig when he didn't see any sign of any potential problems.

Just like before he turned and stepped cautiously, keeping his good eye peeled for the creature from that night. Except, what Ludwig saw wasn't some inhuman monstrosity. At least not externally. He saw pale skin and a messy head of hair that almost blended in with said skin. The man was only a few years older than Ludwig himself; and there he was sitting on the ground, staring out into oblivion. His head unable to be held fully up, hindered by the heavy collar and thick chain which held him to the wall by his neck. This couldn't be the same person that Ludwig had encountered - had he died and been replaced in the last seven days? It was possible... turnings only occurred during the full moon, and one had just passed.

Suddenly the man's head snapped up, body tense and ready to pounce should he need to. As soon as those eyes met his, Ludwig was under absolutely no doubt that this man was the very same one who had half-blinded him. That deep, bloody, crimson was unforgettable. The man sighed, his body relaxing as he shook his head in what seemed to be exasperation.

"Seriously, kid, you again? What are you, some kind of masochist, or what?" he grumbled, and Ludwig was surprised to note just how _normal _that voice sounded in his ears. "So you just gonna stand there gawpin' all day, or are you actually here for a reason?" those eyes rose to meet Ludwig's again in what seemed like a challenge. "Let me guess ... you want to get back at me for your eye? Or are you just out here to rub it in my face that you're alive, because you think I actually give a shit, about that?"

Ludwig shook his head, debating whether it would be a good idea to sit himself down, near this man. "No. To be honest I'm not sure why I came back." he admitted, arms folded in front of his chest as he spoke. His blue eye roamed over the figure in front of him, searching for recent injuries that might just be starting to heal. Trying to pick up any indications of just how badly the Handler had beaten the older male that night. The natural frown on Ludwig's face deepened when the albino just scoffed and shook his head with complete and utter disbelief at his words.

"Well you're an idiot. What if I were to finish the job, hmm? Did you even think for two seconds before you came waltzing back through the Gate?" the man snapped disapprovingly, those terrifying eyes narrowing towards Ludwig in a glare.

In response Ludwig just sat himself on the ground, glaring back at him. "For your information yes, I did. I had to plan for two whole days just to make it out here, so the possibility had crossed my mind." his voice was cold, and hard as he fell into his default persona. The one that only Feliciano and his father got to see past. "But I hardly think I'm in danger of that now, if you'd wanted to finish me off you probably would have done it by now."

A harsh, barking laugh made its way past the other man's lips. "You've got guts, kid. I like that, doesn't stop you from being an idiot though." those pale lips curled into a toothy grin, revealing incredibly sharp-looking incisors. Were those natural? Or had they come with the turning. "So, do I get the honour of knowing your name? It's getting tedious calling you the blond with one eye in my head." the words were mocking, but the tone was lighter than it had been before - almost playful - so Ludwig found it hard to feel in any way insulted by the remark, like he would have been otherwise.

"It's Ludwig Abendroth." the younger man conceded, watching his companion expectantly. Waiting for him to return the favor.

He seemed to mull the name over, letting it sink in before nodding. "You'll be Bernhard's boy, I assume?" Ludwig nodded, unsurprised that this man should know his father - Bernhard was well-known in Relbin, and even in some of the other cities. Of course this man would have heard of Bernhard Abendroth, Ludwig just couldn't remember ever seeing him enter the smithy. He was sure he would recognise someone so distinctive. Again he heard that bark of laughter. "I should have known, aside from the hair you're the old, unawesome, bastard's exact double."

Ludwig stiffened at the lack of respect but before he could reprimand the other man, he spoke again. "I'm Gil Bloodgaze, or that's what they call me _now,_ anyway."

* * *

><p>AN: And so the introductions are properly made. I like Feliciano, so I tried not to make him overly annoying since he is still Ludwig's best friend - even if they're not paired together in this story. Hopefully nobody's out of character, since this is my first time writing any Hetalia characters. Anyway let me know how I'm doing - whether there's anything I can improve on, or just let me know what you think in general. All reviews would be appreciated, so that I can make any improvements that I need to make.

Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 2

**_Chapter Two_**

The minutes passed quickly as the two men spoke. Ludwig revealed how he had managed to sneak back out there without Bernhard stopping him, the little scheme had earned him an enthusiastic laugh, accompanied by praise from the werewolf. Although Ludwig wasn't too sure if it was a compliment or not. _"I never would have pegged you for the rebellious type!"_ he had said. In turn, Gil told him he'd been turned four years previously, not long after finishing his training to become a Handler - on his sixth full moon with his first charge, in fact.

Eventually Gil looked at Ludwig seriously, the blond had been sitting there, talking to Gil for just over an hour and it was getting pretty late. "You'd better get going on home." Ludwig looked at him, eyebrow raised in a questioning manner. "You said you snuck out while your friend was sleeping, didn't you? So you should probably get back before he wakes up." Gil shrugged, leaning back against the wall. "Besides, Ivan will probably be here with my 'dinner' soon. You shouldn't be here when he arrives."

Although Ludwig frowned at that, he could see the albino's point. Just the memory of that man still sent cold chills down his spine, and he wasn't particularly eager to run into the large foreign Handler again any time soon. So he nodded slowly in agreement and got up to his feet. He hadn't realised how long he had spent conversing with Gil, the werewolf was actually quite impressive in a way - despite the obvious lack of nutrition and decent shelter. After four years of what Ludwig could only call neglect and abuse he hadn't lost any of his spirit or his self-confidence. In fact there was a playful and teasing manner about the way he spoke. If Ludwig hadn't seen that murderous look in Gil's eyes a week previous then the blacksmith's apprentice wouldn't have believed this man to be dangerous, at least when he was like this. If he'd been a Handler then Gil was definitely an accomplished fighter of some sort.

All in all, Ludwig had found himself actually enjoying the other man's presence - that wasn't something many people could boast aside from Feliciano and possibly a tiny scattering of other individuals. His lack of respect for others had been a constant throughout their conversations, though and that was one thing that really did grate upon Ludwig's nerves. Especially where his own father was concerned.

"Hey. Before you go..." Ludwig looked down toward Gil, unsure what to make of the uncertainty he heard in the other's voice. "Will you come back and keep me company again, sometime? We're all kept too far apart by these chains, and it would be awesome to have someone to speak to once in a while that isn't Ivan." Gil wouldn't look him in the eye as he made this request, almost like he was embarassed about it. Then a smirk played across his pale lips as he seemed to seamlessly shift back to what Ludwig supposed was his normal demeanor. "Besides, I think with a father like yours you could use a bit more of an awesome influence in your life, kid."

Ludwig visibly twitched before hitting the back of Gil's head with the palm of his hand. This man really needed to learn some respect. "We'll see. Getting past Feliciano is easy, I don't doubt that when Father gets back it will be more difficult." He didn't need to say any more, the point was clear and Gil seemed to get the message.

The albino laughed, caressing the back of his head where he'd just been smacked. "Smart guy, like you? I don't think you'll have much trouble figuring something out." he only laughed more at the slight colouring that appeared on Ludwig's cheeks as the younger man coughed. He never was the best at receiving compliments like that. Even though Feliciano had been throwing them at Ludwig constantly for years now. "Anyway off with you now! Go on, scoot!" Gil chuckled as he waved a hand dismissively in Ludwig's direction to hurry him up.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

Ludwig had been lucky in his timing, Feliciano woke up just fifteen minutes after he'd arrived home. Unlike the previous couple of nights Ludwig managed to convince the youngest of the Vargas brothers to go home, only succeeding because he promised exactly thirty two times to still be alive when Feliciano came to visit the next day. As close as the two of them were, there was only so much Feliciano anybody could reasonably handle in one go - and it was time for the apprentice to have his brief respite.

The next night, Ludwig snuck out once more; this time taking the leftover dinner with him for Gil. He would just tell Feliciano that he'd grown peckish while the other was dozing. Sweet, gullible, Feliciano would believe him without a second thought.

As soon as he passed through the gate Ludwig saw Gil's eyes snap up and a toothy grin spread across his features. "Well, I didn't expect you back so soon!" the werewolf chuckled, waving a hand to indicate he could sit down anywhere. "Whatever's in that box smells pretty awesome, you bring that for me?" Gil wondered, after a long sniff; his eyes were glinting, and Ludwig didn't miss the way Gil's tongue flitted over his lips.

"I may as well use the fact that Feliciano is acting as my supposed caretaker, while Father's away, to my advantage while I can." Ludwig shrugged, setting himself down beside the albino werewolf. "And, as a matter of fact, this _is_ for you. Feliciano always cooks far too much and I'd rather someone ate it instead of having to throw it out." he watched the other man's eyes widen briefly in genuine surprise as he took the box and peered inside. The blond could practically see Gil's mouth watering at the smell (and likely just the prospect of a decent meal). Ludwig had even had the foresight to pack a fork his new acquiantance could use in the box. He watched in silence as the man in front of him savoured every bite that entered his mouth, chewing as if he would never get the chance to chew again.

Even so, the meal didn't last too long and with a contented sigh Gil returned the fork and box. "Y'know what? I take back what I said yesterday - you're already quite awesome." Gil told him with a chuckle and a broad smirk when he noticed Ludwig look away and cough in an attempt to hide his embarassment once again. "Don't worry though, some time in my awesome presence and you'll be just as great as I am!" he went on and added with that playful smirk and teasing glint in his crimson eyes.

Ludwig snorted, fighting the amused smile which was tugging at the edges of his lips. "Are you sure the world can handle that amount of greatness?" he asked, voice dripping with sarcasm which only made Gil laugh whole-heartedly and clap Ludwig on the shoulder.

"I like the way you talk kid, obviously I'll need to try and keep you from getting _too _awesome." the werewolf consented. "We can't have the world imploding because it can't compensate for our combined amazingness. So, unfortunately we'll have to greatly limit your progress." he sighed dramatically, laying a hand over his heart and shaking his head in a show of faux-remorse.

"I'm sure it's a great loss."

"Heh, you're damn right it is! No matter though, I'll just have to be awesome enough for both of us." Gil assured him with a strange hissing snigger. That was a laugh Ludwig hadn't heard from him until now, but he had to say it was the most annoying one yet. In fact Ludwig found himself preferring the harsh, barking one he had grown accustomed to hearing pass those lips. "But only if you keep bringing me food like that every time you visit - because seriously if that stuff was a woman I'd marry her right here and now!"

* * *

><p>AN: And here's chapter two - it's a little short compared to my normal chapter length (prologue doesn't count because I always make them pretty short) but still i'm quite happy with it. Anyway let me know how I'm doing, guys, like I said this is my first time writing any of these characters and I want to keep them from going OOC as much as I can! Also any helpful comments or just what you're thinking so far would be greatly appreciated :)

Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 3

**_Chapter Three_**

After a few days Ludwig's nightly visits became routine for both him and Gil, just the way he liked things to be. He had quickly grown to be quite fond of the older man's company – although he did get on Ludwig's nerves at times with hos disrespectful attitude and tendencies towards being obnoxious. As far as the blond could tell Gil quite appreciated his presence as well; and not just because of the food he brought either.

Every day Feliciano's cooking received glowing praise from the werewolf, if he could tell the bubbly Atyilan then Ludwig was sure he would be beyond ecstatic.

Today was the day Ludwig could finally remove the bandages surrounding his right eye for good. He had grown used to the offset in his depth perception enough that moving around and going places wasn't much of a hassle anymore. However Bernhard had stated firmly that he still wasn't at a stage where he could return to work in the smithy. He wasn't willing to risk Ludwig injuring himself again due to a slight error in judgment. Especially considering the equipment they worked with wasn't exactly risk-free.

Ludwig sat heavily on the bed, Feliciano by his side. The smaller man had taken the day away from his family's stall in the market, in order to be there for this. No matter how many times Ludwig had protested, Feliciano had stubbornly stood his ground – wanting to be present, no matter what. Eventually Ludwig had to give up – once Feliciano was determined enough about something it was almost impossible to dissuade him.

Internally Ludwig was actually quite relieved. It was nice knowing Feliciano cared so much about his well-being.

The two of them were silent as he peeled off the securely-wrapped cloth – Ludwig could _feel_ Feliciano watching him intensely, he probably expected to see the eye completely missing; even though he'd been told time and again that it was still there, it was just useless. Ludwig heard a sharp intake of breath beside him once the bandages were completely removed. A slender hand touched Ludwig's cheek and turned his head to face the slightly older Atyilan, who peered up at him with a rare solemn expression.

"Oh, Ludwig ..." his best friend murmured, gingerly tracing the vertical scar that had been left across his eye by Gil's claws. Ludwig flinched slightly, but allowed the touch to go ahead. "It must have hurt so much; it looks like it was really deep!" It _had_ been painful, Ludwig was lucky not to have lost his eye completely. Not that he would tell Feliciano yet, he seemed upset enough as it was.

Without any kind of warning, Feliciano wrapped his slender arms around Ludwig's broad shoulders in a tight embrace – burying his face into the larger man's neck. Instinctively Ludwig's body tensed, before relaxing as he laid a reassuring hand on the middle of his best friend's back. Normally he really didn't like his personal space to be invaded (especially so suddenly) but due to Feliciano's blatantly affectionate nature he had needed to grow used to this kind of behavior from the Atyilan.

"It's all right, it doesn't hurt now, and that's the main thing." Feliciano whimpered and shook his head, squeezing Ludwig tighter with his arms. Not that it caused the Relbinese man much in the way of physical discomfort.

"But it's _not_ all right!" Ludwig had to fight the urge to bite his bottom lip at the sound of the sob in Feliciano's voice. "That monster injured you, and now you can't work for God knows how long!" It was difficult to suppress a protest that Gil wasn't a monster, just cursed, but Ludwig managed to hold his tongue. And... and I've been so worried, Ludwig! So has your father, I overheard him talking about it to Grandpa Callixtus. You're always acting so strong and we just don't know how this might really be affecting you - I _hate_ it, Ludwig! I can't do anything, and I hate it... I'm such a useless best friend..." Feliciano sobbed, gripping the back of Ludwig's tunic, tightly in his small hands.

Ludwig sighed and slid the hand on Feliciano's back further round so that he could hug the smaller male by the waist. "No you're not, you've looked after me really well since it happened. I don't know what I would have done without you." Granted, Ludwig would have been absolutely fine on his own, but Feliciano didn't need to know that. Ludwig just wanted him to stop crying.

The brunette whimpered again but his body wasn't shaking with sobs anymore. He buried his face further into Ludwig's neck before pulling back and relenting his hold on the larger male's shoulders. "You think so?"

Ludwig nodded and patted Feliciano briefly on the head. "Now... how about we go get something from your grandfather's stall to celebrate the fact that i don't need the bandages, anymore?"

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

As had been expected, getting past Bernhard had not been as simple as waiting for Feliciano to take a siesta. However Ludwig had managed to convince his father that he had taken up going on nightly walks during hs absence. At frst Bernhard had been sceptical - knowing his son had stuck to the same routine for most of his life. It just didn't seem right that Ldig had suddenly made such a change in sad routine. Still, walking did nobody any harm and so he allowed Ludwig his nocturnal wanderings. That didn't mean he wasn't in any way suspicious though, Bernhard could be fairly paranoid when it came to his son's well-being.

In a way Ludwig was slightly apprehensive about visiting Gil that night. How would the werewolf react to the damage he had left on Ludwig's face? In all honesty Ludwig had no idea what to expect, however backing out wasn't an option - for one thing, missing a nightly wander so soon would raise his father's suspicion levels even higher. For another, Ludwig would not allow himself to be a coward.

When Ludwig rounded that familiar corner, he heard Gil snigger. "Y'know, I think I'm going to start calling you West. Seriously you're so predictable - always coming through the Western Gate like that." Ludwig just shrugged, what could he say? He liked havine a routine in place, it made things much easier for him. "Well whatever, you coming over here or are you gonna keep your distance from me all night?" Gil smirked playfully. "I'm not in the mood for biting if that's what you're worried about. Not unless you have any more of that Atyilan food with you tonight?" he added, crimson orbs glinting hopefully in the moonlight.

"Well it _is_ the closest Gate to my house." Ludwig responded, hesitating slightly. Of course he had the usual gift of leftovers, Ludwig just wasn't sure if he wanted to get close enough for Gil to notice the scar which had been left from that night. Deciding that delaying the inevitable just wasn't worth it. So, with an outstretched hand he moved forward and handed Gil that night's dinner. The food was almost ripped forcefully into Gil's grip, and the werewolf greedily began to dig in.

Probably too preoccupied by the idea of a decent meal, he didn't seem to have noticed anything different about Ludwig. The blond wasn't entirely sure if he was glad of this or not, but kept his mouth shut on the subject and just sat down next to Gil. "I'm afraid you'll have to make do with my cooking tonight. Feliciano had a family matter to attend to - and I can't trust father anywhere near the kitchen."

Gil just grunted and waved his hand in dismissal of Ludwig's apology as he worked on swallowing the hearty portion he had taken into his mouth previously. "As awesome as Atyilan food is, it can get too much for me. I prefer simpler and heartier meals, like Sauprisian food. This stuff reminds me of what ol' Fritz used to cook for me so it's all good. I haven't had enough since I moved to Relbin - you people are too fond of your Atyilan and Napsian food here."

"You're from Saupris?" Ludwig was genuinely surprised, Gil had the Relbinese accent and there was nothing about him that would ahve hinted to him actually being a foreigner. Then again he had probably been in Relbin for a long time.

Gil made a sound of affirmation around the food he was currently chewing. "Yeah, me and Ol' Fritz moved here when I was ten." he shrugged. "Fritz was my guardian, looked after me when my parents were called out to war. Y'know I don't understand why you don't let your women fight - they can make for more vicious combatants than men sometimes." Sub-consciously, Ludwig scratched at a spot on his upper-arm where he'd been unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of his cousin's wife's wrath.

"Having met my cousin's choice of wife, I'm inclined to agree with you on that." Ludwig admitted.

The words made Gil snigger and glance up at him from the meal. "Quite the she-devil, I take it?" When Ludwig shook his head defensively, Gil just laughed harder and slapped the blond on the shoulder. "She's not here to attack you if you bad-mouth her, y'know? C'mon, you can tell me - I'm awesome enough to keep it a secret."

With a non-committal grunt, Ludwig batted the Sauprisian's hand away and shook his head. "She's a good woman, most of the time. Just as long as you don't get on her bad-side... especially if she's anywhere near a frying pan."

"And _that's_ when she becomes the she-devil, am I right?" Unable to find it in him to lie to the other man Ludwig just nodded, holding his tongue so as not to voice anything that might result in him getting castrated. You could never tell when it came to women, a lot of them seemed to have some sort of uncanny ability to read minds. Especially when it came to anyone thinking negatively of them. As much as he loved Elizabeta, she could be absolutely terrifying at times (not that Ludwig would ever admit to either of those things out loud).

Without any warning, Gil chucked the container back to Ludwig, having finished devouring the contents. As Ludwig turned to put it away into the small pack he'd brought with him, he could feel a pair of intense crimson eyes peering at his face. The large blond almost froze, knowing that Gil must have noticed the scar, now. He had almost forgotten why he had been so tense on his way here tonight.

"Turn around and look at me, West." Gil's voice had lost any of the mirth or playfullness it usually held - replaced by complete and utter, firm seriousness. When Ludwig hesitated, the werewolf grabbed his arm and jerked the younger man into facing him. His pale features were set into a deep frown, lips pursed and eyes narrowed - looking upon the scar running over Ludwig's eye as if its very presence actually offended him on a personal level. In a way, perhaps it did...

Ludwig sighed, refusing to meet Gil's gaze. Right here and now, he could see exactly where the name 'Bloodgaze' had come from. Ever since Ludwig's first proper visitation, their initial encounter hadn't been brought up in conversation - it was forcibly pushed far into the backs of their minds. However now, it was impossible to ignore - and Ludwig could tell that every detail of that night was now flashing through the werewolf's mind.

Gil took a shaky breath, his grip on Ludwig's arm unintentionally tightening. "Did I do that?" he didn't seem to really be asking Ludwig the question, more like he was confirming it in his own head. Still, the blond nodded slightly in confirmation. Almost instantly the hand on his arm released its hold and shakily moved upwards towards Ludwig's face.

He couldn't stop the visible flinch that his body made when Gil's hand got too close to his eye - although he did his best to suppress it. The movement, however was enough to make Gil sharply withdraw. Immediately Ludwig felt guilty, he had known Gil had no intention to harm him again, he'd just been incapable of repressing what was now an instinctive reaction. Ludwig wanted to say something, to let Gil know he hadn't meant anything from the involuntary action; unfortunately his voice seemed to fail him when he noticed the downcast expression upon the werewolf's face.

For what seemed like an eternity, neither man spoke. Gil was clearly hurt and Ludwig just couldn't form the apology he so wanted to give to the albino. Eventually, when he couldn't take it any more, Ludwig got to his feet - mumbling that he should get home before Bernhard got too suspicious. Gil just silently waved him off; refusing to even meet Ludwig's eyes.

As Ludwig turned the corner to walk back through the Gate, Gil's voice reached his ears and made him cringe with regret: _"Should've known he wouldn't forgive me so easily..."_

* * *

><p>AN: Quite an angsty end to the chapter, but I'm quite happy with it! This is really quite a long chapter for me but I don't mind too much because there was more to fit in this time around than usual so as far as I'm concerned that's fine.

As for the beginning of the chapter - this is still a Ludwig/Gilbert pairing but that's just how I picture Feliciano reacting to things like that; especially regarding people he cares about. Plus he's clingy and affectionate so he doesn't understand things like personal boundaries. At any rate I like this sort of relationship between the two, and actually feel quite sad when people twist Feliciano into some kind of antagonist when it comes to Germancest fics.

Oh well, anyway that's enough from me. I'm tired and I have work in the morning so please leave a review to let me know what you think - even the negative thoughts because I'm always looking to improve! Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: First of all I want to apologise for how long this took to get out, I've done something to my hand and it has been aching badly for over a week. It even hurts to type but I've persevered for all of you who are enjoying this story :)

Pineapple, since your review was an anonymous one and I couldn't respond that way I'm going to reply to you here! The placement of Ludwig/Gilbert in the pairing means nothing to me, it just seems more natural for me to type it that way - with Ludwig being first. It's the same with ANY Germany pairing, but as for who tops, I don't even know yet - although when it comes to these two i like to think they take it in turns lol. How will this turn into a yaoi fic? You'll just have to wait and see because I don't want to give away plot-spoilers XD

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Four<strong>_

Every night since Gil had seen Ludwig without the bandages on his face, the werewolf had sat there against the wall hoping to see West come around that corner again. That scar didn't belong there on West's face – marring the otherwise even and smooth complexion. Just the memory of seeing it made Gil feel sick, knowing it was his fault the offensive imperfection was even there in the first place made it worse.

It wasn't as if Ludwig stopped coming altogether, Gil caught the blond's scent as he approached and despite himself he would feel a glimmer of hope – only to have it snuffed out when Ludwig would turn and leave again. Eventually it got to the point where the albino just got confused and frustrated every time he recognised Ludwig's scent coming closer. Just what was going on with the younger man? What kept causing him to chicken out whenever he got so close to just walking through that Gate and turning the corner? If Ludwig didn't want anything to do with Gil anymore then why would he even come so close to the Western Gate? Though, Gil wasn't sure if West would even try again this night.

The night before, Gil had finally snapped. Having had enough of Ludwig's actions he had slammed his fist into the wall as he smelled the aforementioned blond's approach. Not caring if he might attract Ivan's attention he had yelled. He didn't remember exactly what he'd yelled but it hadn't been pleasant and he'd cursed the blond, pounding at the wall repeatedly and rattling his chain in complete frustration. As predicted, Ludwig turned and left once more, leaving Gil to continue releasing his frustrations on the unfeeling, unhearing wall.

He didn't notice the freakishly large man, who was his assigned Handler, until Ivan's hand pushed Gil's face roughly against the wall. "You are being incredibly noisy, _Sobaka_. I am sure you are causing much disruption, my rebellious little mongrel." Gil hissed angrly, not only at the insults but at the fact the man from Urisas dared to _touch_ him.

Ivan smiled broadly, free hand tightening around the lethal metal pipe he favored as his weapon. That was one thing that had always set Ival apart from other Handlers, choosing such a short weapon - normally they favored pikes or spears and other such weapons with a longer reach. Ones that would lessen the risk of being turned by their assigned werewolf. "I am thinking you are needing to be taught another lesson, _da_?"

"_Missgeburt_!" Gil snarled, eyes gleaming viciously as he glared at Ivan who simply shut his eyes as his smile broadened even more. "Let go of me, _du Arschloch_! _Nennen Sie mich nicht ein Mischling, wenn Sie nichts anderes als ein Schwachsinniger sind_!" the albino snapped, only to hiss in pain when Ivan's boot was brought down heavily upon his foot.

Ivan sighed and shook his head regretfully. "Still so unruly." The hand on Gil's face pushed him harder against the wall and he began struggling fiercely, trying to claw at Ivan's hand and arm. The large foreigner, however, just chuckled in dark amusement because until the full moon Gil's claws wouldn't be able to penetrate the armour which currently shielded him from harm. "To keep your spirit so long, you impress me, little _Sobaka_. I do not mind, this only makes it more fun to break you, yes?"

_"Verroten sie doch in der Hölle!"_ The albino managed to turn his head just enough to spit into Ivan's face, a defiant glare upon his pale features.

In an instant the pretense dropped, and Ivan's face no longer attempted to shroud his malice and contempt for the werewolf he had at his mercy. With uncanny speed Ivan grabbed a fistful of Gil's hair and yanked his head in a painful manner. A surprised yelp passed through Gil's lips and his eyes widened, kicking at the Urisasan to try and dislodge the death-grip.

"That was unneccessary, comrade. I was going to be nice - but I am thinking you are not deserving of that." Ivan crooned, the smile pulling at his lips becoming nothing short of poisonous. Without warning Gil was thrown harshly onto the rough grit of the ground. The albino howled in pain as his Handler dug his booted heel into the socket of his shoulder. "You _will_ be learning to respect me, Mongrel; and I shall enjoy the teaching."

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

The result hadn't been pretty, Gil was heavily bruised and cut all over the place. He was almost positive that Ivan had at least cracked a couple minor bones as well. Gil hadn't been fed since, either. In the dusty wastelands surrounding Relbin there wasn't exactly an abundance of small wild creatures that he could catch and devour, either. It was such a rarity to even spot a mouse or a rat.

The albino's stomach grumbled weakly and he found himself longing for the cold leftovers Ludwig would bring along with his visits. In fact, as angry as he was about the blond's current cowardice, Gil just really wanted West's company again. Not that he expected to ever receive it again - Ludwig hadn't even approached since last night's outburst and Gil didn't blame him. At least his confusion was settling into a grim realisation that West actually didn't want to be anywhere near him anymore. As hurtful as this realisation was - Gil greatly preferred it to the frustrating confusion that had caused such turmoil in his mind before. And tomorrow night was another full moon, at least there was no chance of hurting Ludwig any more than he already had.

Still ... it was far too quiet and lonely without the younger man outside the city.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Translations:<strong>_

__Missgeburt __- Freak of nature or monstrosity__  
>Du Arschloch<em>_ - You asshole  
><em>Nennen Sie mich nicht ein Mischling, wenn Sie nichts anderes als ein Schwachsinniger sind - <em>Do not call me a mongrel, when you are nothing but a simple-minded one (I couldn't find a more general translation for Schwachsinniger, but that's what it said on the list of German insults I found so hopefully it works out)  
><em>da<em> - yes__  
>Verroten sie doch in der Hölle -<em>_ Rot in Hell  
><em>Sobaka<em> - Puppy (please correct me if I'm wrong - I wanted to use the more common alphabet instead of the Russian one because for some reason I find it awkward just placing the Russian one in an English-written story)

A/N: By the way if anyone knows how to latinise either the word нечистокровный or ублюдок I would really appreciate it if you could let me know for the next time I write for Ivan. If not that's fine, I'll just keep on using the word Mongrel.

Man, I really need to start learning German again ... I miss it.

The next chapter (and maybe the one after) will also be in Gil's POV, and will feature a fair bit of emotional turmoil - just to warn you. Ludwig will also return, how much he'll feature I'm not entirely sure yet but he will be in there! Anyway I hope you enjoyed, please leave any feedback you have. Thanks, my lovelies :)

P.S. If you notice any spellings that might seem a little bit off - I'm from Scotland so I use the UK spellings for things rather than the US ones. But that doesn't mean I'm not prone to mistakes so if you see any then please let me know!

EDIT: Fixed up some of the German!


	6. Chapter 5

_**Chapter Five**_

The normally still morning air was filled with buzzing excitement. Citizens poured out of their homes as the Heralds ran through the streets – spreading word of the Chaining that was about to begin outside the Western Gate.

Someone had been turned last night, and this morning would seal their fate.

Gil glared through the hair which fell in front of his eyes. Every single time, almost the entire city would gather outside whatever gate happened to be the site for the ceremony. He grit his teeth together, determinedly not looking over towards Ivan, a rookie Handler, and the poor foreigner who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Did they even understand what was going on around them? Were the words just foreign gibberish to their ears, or could they understand everything? If he was being honest, Gil didn't know which one was the worst scenario for the new pup.

The albino hadn't been able to look at the lad since they had both transformed back, he was too young to have to suffer through all of this ... the fact that he had to was Gil's fault. Yet another life he'd unwittingly ruined.

He couldn't have been older than fifteen, tall for his age and dark-skinned - obviously from somewhere in the South. The lad hadn't struggled or spoken a word since he changed back with the disappearance of the moon. In fact he stood there, silently and holding himself with dignity, between the intimidating Ivan and the lean rookie with the self-confident grin.

All around them the crowd grew larger and louder by the second, parents ushering their children to the front in order to show them what would happen if they strayed too far at night. Some of the younger, rowdier males jeered and taunted from the safety of the crowd. Gil snorted mentally as he snarled in warning. They wouldn't have dared try anything if they were facing him alone, the little _Feiglinge._

These ceremonies always got under Gil's skin - even when he didn't have to participate in them, or they took place too far away and he could only just hear the dregs of the ruckus it caused in the crowds.

Heavy footsteps and an awe-inspiring presence initiated a hush to fall over the crowd, even Gil attempted to raise his head enough to watch the Chief-Handler approach the three in front of the crowd. He was a slightly older sort of man, still retaining an incedibly strong build, with dark hair and the beginnings of stubble surrounding his chin. Normally quite the merry individual, this morning his face was grim, light brown eyes landing on Gil with such thinly disguised disgust that he might as well not have bothered trying at all.

It took a real conscious effort on Gil's part not to flinch at the look - he and Sadik had been on good terms before he'd been turned, and now it was like Sadik wanted to end his existence right then and there... maybe he did. After all during his first full-moon Gil had turned Heracles, a man Sadik had been incredibly close to despite to animosity between them. The young man had only lasted three full moons after that.

Gil's thought-process was interupted as Sadik opened his mouth. "Last night a terrible injustice took place outside the walls of our great city! Despite our Handlers' best efforts, sometimes these travesties cannot be avoided." he began, Yekurtish accent still coming on thick and strong even after living in Relbin for so many years.

"That animal before you has spread his infection onto yet another - turning him into one more monster. We should strike them both down where they stand!" the speech was well-rehearsed. In his time as Chief-Handler, and before, Sadik had memorised it word for word. He probably didn't even need to think about it anymore before launching into the recitation.

After that Gil tuned him out, he knew how this always went. Perhaps not as word-perfect as Sadik did, but familiarly enough that he didn't need to do anything more than pretend to actually listen as the guilt and shame washed over him. The speech was laughable - filled with insult after insult and false remorse with the pretense that the Handlers were performing a kindness to those who turned. _"However, just as those who came before us did, we extend the hand of kindness. In exchange for helping us to defend this city against those who would do us harm, we shall continue to feed and clothe these creatures so that their very souls have not been tarnished in vain."_

That part of it always stayed with Gil, there was a time he had truly believed in those words. Now they just made him sick to his stomach.

After a good ten minutes, Sadik turned to the newly-turned pup who met his gaze with ease. Ready to accept his fate with the same dignity that kept his back so straight. "Your name." it wasn't a request or a simple question, but an order barked out from the back of his throat.

"Jamar Nwosu." the lad's voice was deep and clear, devoid of anything other than a resounding calmness that seemed to permeate from every pore on his young body. Gil's part was coming up next, and to distract himself from what he was going to have to do he looked to the crowd, hoping in vain to spot any familiar face that might bring him some form of comfort. He already knew exactly what to say, had decided it as he watched the lad transform back into his human shape. Gil just needed something to cling to, something to remind him he'd had no control over the events of the previous night.

Just as he was giving up hope, and Sadik called out the name 'Raj' to replace Jamar's birth-name, was when Gil spotted him. Standing tall and tense, blond lockes slicked back and with an oddly disturbed look within his eyes, was Ludwig. Gil's breath caught in his throat - he had wanted to see the younger man again ... but not in this situation. "Bloodgaze!" Sadik's angry tone snapped Gil back to attention. "I repeat ... as his corruptor the duty of giving him his surname falls on your shoulders. Now what will it be?"

Gil didn't want to, he had done this before so many times now... but he really didn't want to finish stripping this lad of the last of his humanity. Not in front of Ludwig, proving just how beastly he really was. But then Jamar's dark eyes met his and the lad nodded, silently telling him it was all right - for this he would be forgiven.

So, with a heavy sigh and down-cast eyes, Gil spoke. "Ridgeback. His name ... is Raj Ridgeback..."

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

The crowd had followed as the three Handlers led Jamar away for the final part of his Chaining, the collar already clasped insultingly around his neck, leaving Gil on his own, back slumped against the wall as he stared up at the clear sky. "Tch, damn sun. It should be raining today." he muttered darkly, not noticing the slow and almost hesitant footfalls approaching him until they stopped a few feet away. He sighed, looking off to the side - avoiding the other man's gaze. "What are you doing here, West?"

Ludwig cleared his throat awkwardly, grip on the small bag he carried tightening ever so slightly. "I ... wanted to see if you were all right. When I heard the news I knew it would be you." Gil let out a harsh scoff, hardly believing it took so much to make West come back. Gingerly, Ludwig offered the bag to Gil, who caught the scent of home-cooked food. Just like before. However he shook his head in refusal, Chainings never failed to take away the albino's appetite.

Sitting himself down in front of the werewolf, Ludwig watched carefully for any signs that he wasn't welcome so close. "I wanted to come sooner, but I assumed that after the other night you didn't want me around." Gil supposed he could forgive Ludwig for that assumption, after all his yelling had been incredibly harsh that night.

Finally shifting his gaze to meet the crystaline blue of Ludwig's, Gil asked the questions that had been weighing on his mind for so long now. "What kept you away before? What made you turn around and leave after coming so far?" A part of him dreaded hearing the answer - but Gil had to know.

"Fear." Gil tensed visibly, he should have known that would be the case. Why _wouldn't_ Ludwig be terrified of him? "I was worried that I wouldn't be able to face you... after the way I reacted. Whenever I got close to the Gate, I just froze, unable to continue. So ... while I still have the nerve to I want to say sorry, it wasn't because of you I did that - I'm just not comfortable with anything going near my eye at the moment."

For a moment there was silence, Ludwig waiting to be berated while Gil processed this new information with a mixture of shock and relief. He started sniggering, shaking his head in amazement. "Honestly West ... you had me worried, and _that, _kid, is definitely _not_ awesome." he glared half-heartedly at the blond, who already had his mouth open to apologise. Gil stopped that with a playful kick to the other's knee. He was trembling slightly, relief washing over him at a hectic rate. West didn't hate him... and for some reason that made everything seem all right now.

"Damn it, you big oaf! Making me act all unawesome like this." his croaked out, throat tightening as he tried to hold on to his masculinity and not get emotional over this like a woman. He shifted himself around and closer to the taller male and pulled him into a head-lock, messing with the meticulously styled hair as he took deep breaths. "Don't you dare do this to me again, West, y'hear me? Otherwise I might just have to reconsider whether you're actually awesome or not."

Ludwig's lips twitched, half in annoyance and half in a fond smile. "I'll keep that in mind ... if you tell me what your real name is. The one you were born with, not the one they gave you." he said, shoving Gil's arm off so that he could fix his hair.

Gil had to laugh, a grin spreading wildly across his face as he spoke two words he hadn't heard out loud for four years. "Gilbert Beilschmidt."

* * *

><p>AN: A nice, quick update. I'm quite happy with the chapter, including the reunion part at the end. At first I was going to have Gil be really angry but then I thought that just after the full moon and having to go through a Chaining he probably wouldn't be emotionally capable to expressing anger. Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed it!

By the way feel free to have a guess at the two characters who made their cameos in this chapter! Jamar and the nameless rookie Handler. I'm actually quite interested in seeing who you guys think they are. I'll reveal them in the notes for next chapter.

Thanks for reading, as always let me know what you thought :)

**_Translations_**

_Feiglinge_ - Cowards


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: In my last chapter I asked who you thought made their appearances as the rookie Handler and the newly turned Werewolf. Jamar was Cameroon, and to be honest I was really quite torn between giving him that name or the name Taurean. There was a time when it could have been Tibet instead but I decided to go for Cameroon. And I know I didn't give you much to go on for the rookie Handler, but that was good old Alfred F. Jones the USA.

Sorry to disappoint you, Pineapple, that it wasn't the other two members of the Bad Touch Trio but they do get mentions in here I haven't forgotten about them :)

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Six<strong>_

Feliciano was worried about his best friend. Ludwig wouldn't tell him what had gotten him all depressed for so long – Ludwig always told him everything! Now, all of a sudden, he was back to normal; in fact he might even be better than before ... Mr Abendroth had started letting him back into the Smithy for work. Being idle for so long wasn't something his tall friend was good at, not at all!

Even though Ludwig seemed better, Feliciano could tell he wasn't quite all there anymore. His mind would wander – which in itself was a cause for concern when it came to the blond – sometimes he would be looking through Feliciano instead of _at_ him. Just little things like that... things not many other people would notice but made all the difference when applied to somebody like Ludwig.

It wasn't as if Feliciano _hadn't_ tried to speak with Ludwig, get the larger male to confide in him. They were best friends, right? Ludwig should be able to feel like he could rely on the Atyilan. This apparent secrecy stung Feliciano to his core.

On the surface they acted exactly the same – Feliciano babbling away about whatever happened to pop into his mind while Ludwig appeared to be paying attention, nodding and smiling and adding small comments whenever it seemed appropriate. However the fact remained that Feliciano could tell that Ludwig was simply going through the motions of it all. His mind wasn't focused like it normally was. Something was weighing on him heavily, distracting the blond almost every moment of the day. _That_ was what had the young merchant and passionate cook so worried.

He wasn't the only one either.

Ludwig's father had spoken at length with Grandpa Callixtus on the very same matter. Every night Ludwig disappeared for extended periods of time, claiming to simply be going for a night-time wander. That in itself was un-Ludwig-like enough to be concerning. The fact that his routine had been changed to suddenly, as well, was unprecidented!

"_Perhaps he has a secret lover? Your Ludwig is a sinfully shy boy, it wouldn't surprise me if he was too embarrassed to be open about courting a lovely young lady." Callixtus had suggested with a broad grin, eyes glinting almost lewdly. "Maybe that Zwingli girl, Lili? They've got along well in the past, and seem fond enough of each other. And with a brother like her's I cannot blame him for favoring secrecy."_

Feliciano highly doubted this was the case – love was a topic he and the entire Vargas family prided themselves on being quite familiar with. The signs he spotted in Ludwig didn't seem to indicate something like that... at least not yet. Sometimes the way Ludwig's lips would twitch when he accidentally fell deep into thought and a slight twinkle in his blue eyes did hint towards a growing fondness, but there was something else as well. Something that worried the young Blacksmith's Apprentice.

Bernhard had been adamant that Grandpa had been wrong as well. Insisting that his son had no such desires, particularly for someone that would inadvertently cause danger to his person. Ludwig was far too practical for such things. In fact, Feliciano was positive that Mr Abendroth expected Ludwig to marry for no other reason than to produce children and strengthen his standing in society.

While it was quite common in Relbin, and dreadfully possible, Feliciano hoped this wouldn't be the case. He wanted Ludwig to find love and have it be returned. That was Feliciano's dream for his best friend. Even if that person was a man, like Lovino's lover Antonio. As long as Ludwig was happy then so was he.

However Feliciano didn't think Ludwig was entirely happy now. Sometimes he was, but something was bothering him too much for the happiness to properly wash over him.

"Ludwig?" the Relbinese man grunted slightly, granting Feliciano permission to continue (not that it had been needed, the Atyilan would have gone on anyway). "I was thinking of going to the Hare and Rose tonight and catching up with everyone. Do you want to come with me?" Feliciano asked, beaming up at Ludwig hopefully.

The Hare and Rose was quite possibly the most popular establishment in Relbin – with its casual and friendly atmosphere alongside the two charismatic owners and wide array of good quality drinks and food. How the two had come to be in business together was a mystery to most; their loud and occasionally violent rivalry was well-known. And yet they managed to work well enough together in order to make a success of their venture - and managed to be quite civil in front of their patrons. Though, behind closed doors was probably a far different story. Old habits were hard to break after all.

Ludwig frowned slightly, clearly debating the offer. "I don't think so, Feliciano. I have a previous engagement that I shouldn't miss." Feliciano bit his lower lip at this.

"But we never go anywhere, anymore! Come one, just for an hour or two. I'll buy you a couple of beers and we can see everybody and catch up! I know they'd be glad to see you, too, everyone's been missing you since the incident." Feliciano was practically begging, clutching at Ludwig's sleeve. He wanted Ludwig to relax and forget about whatever was worrying him – even if it was only for a little while. Ludwig might not be willing to tell him what was wrong but Feliciano would be damned if he didn't try to help him out somehow if at all possible.

The Atyilan grew slightly more hopeful when he noticed Ludwig's reaction to the word 'beers'. Sub-consciously his tongue flicked out over his dry lips and his eyes narrowed a little as the internal debate became that little bit more intense. Eventually those broad shoulders slumped and a heavy sigh escaped his lips. "All right, but just for a little while, then I'll need to go."

Letting out a quite high-pitched whoop, Feliciano pulled Ludwig into an embrace, promising he wouldn't regret this and that they were going to have lots of fun!

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

Feliciano hadn't expected to find the Zwingli siblings at the Hare and Rose. He could only assume that Lili had insisted on going and Vash had tagged along to protect her from Francis, the Efcranian co-owner who was known for his wandering hands and copious reserves of sexuality. Feliciano smiled as he watched the pretty young girl and her conversation with Ludwig. Vash was also keeping a close eye on them but he apparently deem Ludwig enough of a threat to his sister's innocence to intervene.

They really did get along well, Feliciano mused, giggling at a joke Antonio had told to the table he was sitting at. However he couldn't see anything more than platonic feelings between the two of them. They would make a really nice couple, someone like Lili could be good for Ludwig – but that meant nothing if the spark of romance and the passion wasn't there.

When Ludwig got to his feet, apparently excusing himself to Lili considering the hug she graced him with and the polite nod Ludwig gave towards Vash, Feliciano became completely distracted from the conversation between Antonio, Roderich and Antonio's good friend Emma. He felt himself deflating as he watched Ludwig leaving. Apparently he hadn't managed to distract Ludwig well enough from whatever was going through his mind.

"If you're so worried, then maybe you should follow our dear Ludwig, _non_?" Francis who had sidled up to him whispered into Feliciano's ear. "Perhaps you can discover what is going on and set all our minds at ease, hmm?" Feliciano nodded and was immediately on his feet, racing after the tall blond that was his best friend.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

Gilbert looked up and smirked as Ludwig came around the corner. "You're a little late tonight, West. Thought maybe you weren't gonna show." he commented with a playful note of distaste that made Ludwig roll his eyes and shake his head as he took his place on the ground near the albino.

"Feliciano convinced me to go out with him for a couple of drinks at the Hare and Rose." Ludwig paused, noticing a frown which made its way onto Gilbert's face as he stated the name of the popular pub.

The werewolf looked away and towards the ground. "Were Francis and Antonio there?" Gilbert glanced over to see Ludwig nod in confirmation. "They're doing fine, right?" another nod prompted a small and almost bitter smile to tug at the albino's pale lips. "Awesome, I haven't seen them since I got turned so I've been wondering about them. The three of us used to be pretty damn close, back in the day." Gilbert chuckled at some fond memory.

"Well they seem to be doing well from what I've seen. Antonio and Lovino's relationship is finally settling, and they seem happy enough. Francis, well I don't think he's ever going to change a bit." Gilbert sniggered, clearly satisfied with the news he'd been given.

"Took 'em long enough. Honestly if that kid was with anyone other than Toni he'd probably have been dropped long ago. So Francis is still sexually assaulting anyone he sees with his eyes, then?" Ludwig nodded and both shared some small laughter.

"I didn't even get a chance to grab anything from the cupboards so unfortunately I don't have anything to give you tonight." Ludwig said after they stopped, scratching at the back of his neck and looking away apologetically. It wasn't like he hadn't enjoyed seeing everyone, but for some reason the disruption in this new routine bothered him even more than it normally would have.

The werewolf sniggered and waved it off. "Psh, don't worry about it, I can survive one night without your leftovers. Just bring me extra tomorrow to make it up to me." Gilbert smirked, and gave Ludwig a sly sideways glance. "And I want wurst, proper home-cooked wurst. And some beer if you can get some, the good stuff, mind, not that watered down piss from Dangeln that so many people drink here."

The list went on and Ludwig couldn't help but laugh as it got more and more ridiculous the longer Gilbert went on. That is until Gilbert stopped suddenly, looking towards the Gate with a frown, nostrils twitching. "West, what are the chances of someone following you here?"

Ludwig didn't really get a chance to respond as he was interupted by a loud panicked sound followed by the scrambling of feet as whoever Gilbert had noticed retreated at an impressive rate. Ludwig cursed under his breath, hoping that the unwelcome visitor hadn't been able to figure out what was going on. He wasn't sure what would happen if he got caught fraternizing with a werewolf – however Ludwig was certain it wouldn't be pleasant.

He was brought out of his dismay by Gilbert taking hold of his arm and tugging him back up onto his feet. "They smelled familiar, I think you might know them." Ludwig looked over at the werewolf, hoping for a bit more information than that. Something which could help ease his concerns slightly. "Wine, tomatoes and garlic. Ring any bells, West?" Immediately Ludwig's face paled, he knew exactly who it was, and probably should have suspected them from the beginning.

"Feliciano..."

* * *

><p>AN: Ohh what's Feli gonna do now he's figured out Ludwig's secret? Poor Lutz is gonna be freaking out because of this whole thing, I just know it!

Anyway hope you guys enjoyed it!

The Hare and Rose is owned by France and England. It's up to you if you want to imagine a back-story of that, to be honest I don't even know if they're just frenemies or lovers in this. I leave that to all your lovely imaginations!

Emma is my favorite of the names that Himaruya lists as possibilities for Belgium. And yes I mentioned Spamano, I like that pairing. Callixtus is obviously Grandpa Rome, and Bernhard is a name I really like for Germania.

I think that's all the notes for this chapter, so I hope you enjoyed and please let me know what you thought!


	8. Chapter 7

_**A/N:**_ First let me be warning you that long chapter is long. There was a lot going in here and I was tempted to split it into two chapters instead but it didn't feel right for me to be doing that. So hear it is all in one long lump of a chapter. By the way, I have a feeling that the last two chapters or so weren't up to everyones' tastes, if so do you mind telling me what wasn't quite up to scratch so I can improve in the future? Thank's a bunch, anyway on with the chapter!

Pineapple, I'm sorry about the cliffhanger! Hopefully this chapter makes it up to you...

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><p><em><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>_

Upon his realisation Ludwig had sprung to his feet and raced towards the Vargas Estate. Feliciano was an unparalleled runner, only matched by his older brother Lovino, however with any luck Ludwig should be able to make it there before Feliciano retired to bed.

This could not wait until the next morning; Feliciano had discovered his secret and was likely in an elevated state of panic. A panicking Feliciano would not bode well if he didn't confront the Atyilan as soon as humanly possible. _Damn it, Feliciano! Why did you have to follow me?_ Ludwig growled mentally. It wasn't that he didn't trust the smaller male, there just wasn't any way Ludwig was willing to risk anything happening that might put Gilbert and himself into an even worse situation. From what he had seen and heard of Ivan, something like this would be the perfect excuse to exercise even less restraint towards the albino.

That, Ludwig knew, he just could not allow if he could avoid it.

It didn't take long to reach the Vargas estate, and with the state his mind was in the tall blond didn't even glance over to appreciate the immaculate gardens Lovino tended to, like he normally did. Instead he ran straight to the main entrance and began banging on the door to bring attention to his arrival.

Unfortunately for Ludwig the person he was met with upon the door's brisk opening was neither Callixtus or Feliciano. Instead Lovino's scowling face glared up at him, teeth grinding together in obvious irritation. "What do _you_ want? _Lei ha condannato coperto ritarda._"

Ludwig scowled at whatever Atyilan obscenities Lovino had just shot his way. He was used to this treatment but frankly he was not in the mood to put up with it right now. "I don't have time for whatever unfounded hatred you have towards me!" he snapped, blue eyes narrowing in a heated glare. "I need to talk to your brother. Now!" Lovino's lips curled into an unsightly snarl, ready to snap back, only to be cut off by Callixtus arriving behind him. The head of the household settled a hand upon his eldest grandson's shoulder, effectively silencing any biting comments Lovino had been about to spit out.

"Boys ... must you always fight like this? Honestly Lovino - how long will it take for it to sink in that this family is all about love, not anger or hate!" Callixtus' impossibly youthful and handsome face showed the very picture of dispair as he gazed down at his irate grandson. Said grandson now looked like he was about to explode, his face was turning an angry red and Ludwig could actually hear Lovino's teeth grinding together so hard he might actually wear them down to the gums.

Before Callixtus could go any further into his tearful and dramatic reprimand Ludwig cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt, sir, it's just that I _really_ need to speak with Feliciano about something important." In response he received a bright grin as Callixtus ushered him inside and past Lovino. Apparently Feliciano had arrived just a few moments ago and was now upstairs in his room. Ludwig thanked him and briskly made his way to Feliciano's room, the layout of the household had long ago been ingrained into Ludwig's memory and he probably could have made his way there dizzy and blindfolded.

Ludwig didn't even consider whether he should knock on Feliciano's door or not; he simply pushed the obstruction open and made his way inside. Vaguely, somewhere in the back of his mind Ludwig thanked the Gods that Feliciano hadn't already started stripping down for bed.

The Atyilan jumped, staring at Ludwig almost fearfully. His painfully expressive eyes shadowed with guilt as he gulped. "Why did you have to follow me?" Ludwig hissed, trying to keep the volume of his voice down so as not to alert anyone else. He didn't want to have to explain things to Lovino or Callixtus. The blond took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. Yes he was mad that Feliciano had followed him, but he wasn't here to yell, all he wanted to do was explain things and hopefully stop Feliciano doing something that could get everyone involved in a lot of trouble. Especially Gilbert. "Listen -"

"Please don't be mad, Ludwig!" Feliciano blurted, cutting Ludwig off in the process. "I didn't know what else to do... something was wrong with you and I had no idea what it was! You've been so distant lately and ... and I've been so worried! Not just me, either - Grandpa, and your father and all our friends too. And we were right to be!" Feliciano was trembling as he made his way over and clutched Ludwig's arm desparately. "He's _dangerous_! What you're doing... it could get you seriously hurt, or worse!" Ludwig couldn't bring himself to look at the expression on Feliciano's face. It was as desparate as the grip the smaller male had on his arm; pleading with him to see sense and reason. "After what happened to your eye, I don't want to see anything else like that happening to you, Ludwig! Not again!" Feliciano shook his head before burying his face into Ludwig's upper arm.

Ludwig opened his mouth to respond, only to find his arm being gripped tighter. "Is he the same one?" Feliciano's voice was soft and hesitant, like he almost didn't want to hear the answer. Ludwig's failure to respond caused the Atyilan to peer up at him again, and this time Ludwig wasn't able to look away in time to avoid it. "Tell me he _isn't_, Ludwig!" Feliciano begged.

The large blond sighed and looked away. As much as he wanted to say that, Ludwig was inapable of lying to his best friend. Instead he settled for a mumbled 'I'm sorry'. Immediately Feliciano whimpered and bit his lip. "Why are you doing this? You're going to end up turned or dead!" Worrying about the steadily rising volume of his best friend's voice Ludwig shrugged Feliciano off and took hold of both his shoulders, lowering himself so they were at eye level.

"Do you think I don't know he's dangerous?" Ludwig asked in a low and serious manner. "I know first-hand just how dangerous he is." he noticed that Feliciano's gaze automatically went to the scar upon his face. "Every single time I look at him I can't help remembering that night..." Ludwig sighed again. "But _listen_ Feliciano, Gilbert is _not_ a monster. Irritating and full of himself, yes; but not a monster." Feliciano frowned, not entirely convinced so Ludwig sat down in the rowan-wood chair near his friend's mirror.

"I used to think the same thing. That snarling, blood-thirsty creature with eyes like Hell couldn't be anything other than a monster." Ludwig admitted, something about being around Feliciano left him unable to hide anything. The small Atyilan always managed to get him spilling his guts unless he really forced himself to do otherwise. "But I was wrong, everyone is wrong about them. They're _not monsters_, Feliciano." _'Not all the time, anyway.'_ Ludwig wasn't going to lie to himself, he had only witnessed the beginnings of the monster showing through, but the monster only emerged so briefly. One night a month.

Feliciano gnawed worriedly at his lower lip. Ludwig believed what he was saying, but it was obvious that his best friend wasn't quite so convinced. As unsure as he was, the Relbinese male knew there was only one way to convince Feliciano of this. He would have to take the Atyilan with him to meet Gilbert as soon as possible. "Come with me tomorrow night. You can decide for yourself." It was hesitant but Feliciano did nod slowly in agreement.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

"Ludwig, I'm not sure about this, anymore..." Feliciano whimpered worriedly, clutching his best friend's arm as they approached the Western Gate. Ludwig sighed, he wasn't surprised. All day Feliciano had been flitting around in an obvious state of worry. If it was anyone else he might have reprimanded them harshly but he knew the Atyilan didn't respond well to things like that so he just stopped and looked down at his friend.

"There is nothing to be scared of, Gilbert isn't going to hurt you. And if anything happens, I'm here. All right?" Apparently satisfied, Feliciano allowed Ludwig to lead him right up to the gate.

An agonized yelp echoed from around the corner, making them freeze. An odd sort of murmured chant which sounded vaguely like '_kolkolkol_' along with sounds of pain, and the slamming of metal and flesh against flesh. "You are disgusting." the familiar, oddly high-pitched voice belonging to Gilbert's handler crooned sweetly. "Stubborn puppy ... will not let master teach him to behave. That is why I be punishing you, _da_?" Ivan chuckled darkly at the string of Sauprisian curses which then flowed out of Gilbert's mouth in response. "Silly _Nichistokrovnii_."

Feliciano clung even harder to Ludwig whose entire body had gone rigid. Ever-defiant, they could hear Gilbert retaliating to everything Ivan said to him, and even though each yelp and howl of pain grew steadily worse, as did the audible nature of whatever Ivan was doing, the albino refused to let him win. On some level Ludwig respected that, but at the same time he had to wish that Gilbert would let go of his pride, and save himself _some_ of this misery. The only thing stopping him from rounding that corner and wiping that childish grin off of Ivan's face himself was the unfortunate fact that Ludwig stood no chance against an armed Handler who was also covered in armour.

The large blond clenched his fists, resting one of them on the wall. Every agonized vocalisation and harsh thud or smack made Feliciano flinch and Ludwig sick to his stomach. They couldn't leave, even with Feliciano's natural flight response. The two friends were rooted to the spot with a mix of horror and worry for the poor victim of Ivan's attentions.

A particularly loud snarl and a howl of pain from Ivan caused a sharp intake of breath from Feliciano and Ludwig to dig his fingernails harshly into his palms. In the back of his mind he was congratulating Gilbert on getting Ivan back, however Ludwig also knew that the Handler wouldn't take it lying down. Such actions would end up costing Gilbert quite dearly, if his suspicions about Ivan proved correct. Then again, Gilbert probably knew that already, having been stuck with Ivan for so long.

Finally regaining the ability to move, Ludwig hurried to peer around the corner - dragging Feliciano along with him at the same time. Ivan now had Gilbert pinned to the wall by his throat, all playful childishness having dissipated and been replaced with pure seething malice. Blood was running down his face and his left ear.

Feliciano's grip tightened so much that Ludwig had to bite his lip to keep himself from hissing or making some other sound that might alert the crazed foreigner to their presence. "You are very disobedient." Ivan snarled viciously. "Dogs should obey master's commands, or be put down!" Gilbert just glared defiantly at him, head held high despite having the air choked out of him. "You are lucky tonight, _Sobaka._ There is big celebration for young Alfred getthing his first charge. Next time you will not be. Next time, you learn your master's lesson, _da_?"

With that Ivan slammed Gilbert harshly against the wall once more, not even waiting to watch the albino collapse to the ground and gasp for air before he turned and left.

As soon as Ivan was out of ear-shot Ludwig raced around the corner to kneel next to the recovering Gilbert, one hand resting on the albino's shoulder as he examined the damage Ivan had left behind. Feliciano watched from a slight distance, letting the visual information sink in. He saw Gilbert force a laugh and try to shrug Ludwig off. "Seriously, West, he's not awesome enough to hurt me too much!" Ludwig had just growled and glared at the werewolf firmly. Eventually Gilbert allowed himself to be checked over in silence.

It somehow felt wrong to be watching this. Something in the tender worried glow in Ludwig's eyes, and the shameful downcast expression of the werewolf made feliciano feel he was intruding on something personal."I hate him, West. I don't care what happens to me afterwards I just want to kill the bastard!" Gilbert murmured and Ludwig hummed slightly in agreement, his jaw and shoulders tensing. Did they even realise what was there? If Feliciano knew Ludwig anywhere near as well as he thought he did, then probably not. Gilbert, the Atyilan wasn't sure about.

Still, whatever worries and doubts Feliciano had felt before were gone now, replaced with rare determination. After what he and Ludwig had just witnessed they just couldn't allow it to go any further. Especially since Gilbert seemed to be quite important to Ludwig now. The petite young man slowly approached and knelt down in front of both of them, arms and chin resting upon his knees as he looked at his best friend. There were so many things that could go wrong from what he was about to suggest, but this was for Ludwig. And for his friends, Feliciano would do anything.

"It's Gilbert, right?" Feliciano asked quietly, his voice shaking a little. Gilbert nodded silently in response, glancing sideways at Ludwig who was checking to make sure the albino had no broken bones or anything too serious wrong with him. Feliciano took a deep breath and sighed. "Well Gilbert ... we're going to break you out of here."

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><p>AN: I'm so sorry that this took so long for me to post, but I've had to stay over at my workplace ever since last Thursday and I have only had tiny slots of time where I could work on this chapter. Hopefully something like that won't happen again, and I get to finally go home on Saturday! But only because I'm going to my best friend's mum's wedding reception that night which should be fun!

Anyway I hope you all enjoyed. Again please let me know what you think, anything at all is fine! Just let me know if there's anything I'm doing wrong or anything I can make a bit better. See you all next chapter!

**_Translations_**

_Lei ha condannato coperto ritarda. - _You damned overgrown retard

_Nichistokrovnii - _Half-bred, Mongrel or other such things (at least according to the internet, please correct me if you know I'm wrong!)


	9. Chapter 8

_**Chapter Eight**_

The other two men had stared at Feliciano in complete shock. Neither had expected such a bold statement from the flighty Atyilan – Ludwig in particular. He had known Feliciano for years now and never would have expected those words to come from his best friend's mouth. Gilbert recovered the fastest, a wide and toothy grin breaking out across his features as hope began to sparkle in his eyes. "You got a plan then, squirt?"

Feliciano shook his head almost sheepishly. "I just know that we can't let him keep his promise..." the Atyilan murmured, hanging his head to look at the ground. Gilbert's whole-hearted laughter caused Feliciano to look back up towards the werewolf who was simply grinning broadly still.

"Well we need to think about this carefully." Ludwig stated firmly. "There are many complications we could run into – but I think we need to do this as soon as possible." he added, glancing over at Gilbert who released one of his hissing sniggers.

"Then I guess we'd better get planning, huh, West?" the albino werewolf prompted, shoving the tall blond's shoulder playfully. The prospect of escape had seemingly lifted the older man's spirits immensely. Ludwig simply nodded in agreement to the prompt. He hadn't been expecting this turn of events, but if it could get Gilbert out of Ivan's clutches then he definitely wasn't going to turn down the opportunity in spite of the many potential problems that could arise.

With that they launched into an enthusiastic brain-storming session. Well Gilbert and Feliciano did, Ludwig took the role of keeping things realistic – shooting down anything they suggested which was simply too impossible. As it turned out this was an exhausting and frankly irritating position for him to take as the other two kept on bringing up things like training an army of birds to keep Ivan occupied while they busied themselves with other things. Honestly, _how_ had Gilbert even come up with something like that?

Eventually Gilbert looked over at him with a scowl on his face. "If you're so awesome at this kind of thing then why don't you come up with something, instead of killing every idea we have?"

They stared at each other heatedly with narrowed eyes as Ludwig thought things over. The plan couldn't be too complicated. It had to be simple and quick – Feliciano might be his best friend but Ludwig was more than aware if the Atyilan's limitations. He wasn't stupid but he was prone to nervousness and panic, also his part couldn't be too strenuous either. Neither could Gilbert's. Ludwig didn't know just how much damage had actually been done even if he appeared fine aside from the heavy bruising and still-bleeding cuts.

Ludwig didn't need to worry about Feliciano being able to make his escape – the smaller man was faster than a Napsiard faced with an angry horde of bulls. The main worry was going to be making sure that Gilbert got away before he was captured.

Aware that the other two were watching him expectantly, Ludwig took a deep breath and sighed. "First thing in the morning, before sunrise." he said finally. "I'll get one of the good axes from father's smithy and we'll use it to break the chain. Feliciano you'll be on look-out – if anything happens you'll need to give Gilbert and myself plenty of warning so we can get out of here; and then you're to run home as fast as you can."

"_Nein_!" Gilbert snarled, halting Ludwig before he could progress any further. "You're _not _coming with me, Ludwig. Once the chain's off you get the hell out of here as well." Gilbert's voice was low and threatening, daring either of the other two to oppose him.

Ludwig scowled at the tone and the use of his name, instead of the nickname he'd grown so used to hearing, getting up to his feet as he glared down at the werewolf. "You're in no condition to get out of here on your own, Gilbert! You can't expect me to just abandon you to the slaughterhouse!" the tall blond snapped, only to find himself slammed fiercely against the wall by his shoulders. Gilbert's face inches away from his own – teeth bared in a feral snarl.

"I _expect_ you to learn from your mistakes! Look what I've done to you already – what do you think is going to happen if we're out there, with no one to come help you when I transform at the next full moon?" Gilbert growled threateningly.

Ludwig barely registered Feliciano cowering away from the scene, his whole attention focussed upon the albino werewolf who had him pinned to the wall. Gilbert was physically strong, despite being of a slightly leaner build than Ludwig himself. _It must be a side-effect after being turned._ "So instead you'll put yourself in a position where you're more at risk to turn even more people? If nothing else I can _try_ and stop that happening!" Ludwig wasn't delusional; he knew he stood no chance against Gilbert now, let alone after he transformed. Still, he couldn't let Gilbert go on his own. Ludwig wasn't too sure why ... but he couldn't allow that.

He flinched as one of Gilbert's fists collided with the wall right next to his face. "_Verdammt, Westen_! I've already taken your eye, and your friendship and that's far too much already! I won't have you throwing away your life like this!"

The albino's body was trembling with anger and the effort it was taking him to remain somewhat calm. "You have _everything_ ahead of you: a wife and children, the smithy. You have your friends and your father! The second you throw all of that away you'll be kicking yourself for the rest of your life!" Gilbert sighed, snaking his fist to the back of Ludwig's head to press their foreheads together as he shut his eyes. "I'll be fine ... I'll find Fritz and we'll look after each other. Just don't ruin your life for me, Ludwig... I'm not worth it."

Ludwig sighed heavily. "I'm going with you, Gilbert... and that's the end of it." As uncomfortable as he was with this prolonged physical contact, Ludwig couldn't pull himself away, neither could he bring himself to tell Gilbert to let go of him. Instead he forced himself to relax, hoping that if he did then Gilbert would be calmer as well. He'd probably be more receptive to Ludwig travelling with him that way.

Eventually Gilbert's hand slipped away and he nodded his forehead against Ludwig's before finally moving away from the Relbinese man. "All right, West. On one condition – as soon as I start transforming I want you to run as far away from me as you can." Ludwig opened his mouth to protest but stopped short when Gilbert's darkened gaze snapped warningly to meet his own. "Promise. Me. Ludwig!"

It was impossible for Ludwig to ignore that tone in the other's voice. Low and commanding but at the same time, pleading and desperate. As much as he didn't want to he nodded in agreement. Ludwig would deal with the situation when it arose again, but for now the subject was closed.

Neither man seemed to remember Feliciano's presence. The Atyilan stood there, a sad smile gracing his cherubic yet handsome features. They couldn't see it yet but Feliciano could; he could only hope everything turned out well for the two men in front of him. Their circumstances were unfortunate, but with the depth of the caring Feliciano could see in their eyes, perhaps it would all be worth it in the end.

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><p>AN: A small confrontation thrown in there which was actually going to be in the previous chapter but I had to change it around since my original plan for chapter 7 went a bit downhill and Feliciano got a bigger part than originally planned. Still I hope you all enjoyed it, hopefully it won't take me too long to put up chapter 9 which will be exciting I hope!

Anyway as always let me know what you thought, and I'll see you next chapter!

**_Translastions_**

_Verdammt, Westen_ - Damn, West


	10. Chapter 9

_**Chapter Nine**_

Bernhard was still in bed when Ludwig snuck out to the smithy. It took a while for him to find the one particular axe he was looking for. It was a normal hand-axe although slightly larger than most and very simple in design. It needed a bit of sharpening before he could use it for the purpose he intended, but other than that it was perfect condition – just like everything else they kept in the smithy.

Before Ludwig left he stood for a moment, just looking around. He would miss this place, and his father. The tall blond felt a slight pang in his chest – very soon he would be leaving behind absolutely everything he had ever known. All for the sake of a man he'd only recently met.

Part of him wondered briefly if he was doing the right thing but he quickly repelled such thoughts. Ludwig had made up his mind and he couldn't allow himself any doubts now. They had to get Gilbert away from here, and Ludwig was determined that he was going with the albino as soon as they broke that infernal chain.

Taking a deep breath to strengthen his resolve the Relbinese man turned to the door and left the dark smithy for the last time.

He met up with Feliciano on the way. The Atyilan looked nervous and Ludwig squeezed his friend's shoulder reassuringly before they made their way as quickly as they could to the Western Gate. The weight of what they were about to do settled heavily on their shoulders, leaving them in a tense silence. Feliciano was biting at his lower lip and wringing his hands together. As much as Ludwig wanted to say something to assure the other that everything was going to be all right, there was an unfounded paranoia hanging over the both of them preventing them from making any kind of sound.

Gilbert was already wide awake and waiting for them when they rounded the corner. His pale lips curled into a wide grin when he spotted them arrive, pushing himself to his feet. "Got everything we need, West?"

Ludwig simply nodded in return, his grip on the axe tightening ever so slightly. The pack on his back was heavy, though not obstructive. He had tried to pack as much as he could without potentially hindering their chances at escape – as such Ludwig worried that there might not be enough there to keep them going. However the two of them would just have to deal with that bump in the road when they reached it.

For now they had to make haste.

"Ludwig..." the aforementioned blond turned to look quizzically at his best friend who had spoken so softly he had almost missed it. Instantly Feliciano latched onto him, arms encircling Ludwig's waist as he buried his face into the larger male's chest. "I don't want you to go..." Feliciano murmured.

Ludwig sighed and rubbed comfortingly at Feliciano's back with his free hand. However before he could tell his best friend that he had to leave, the Atyilan was speaking again. "But I can't stop you, can I? So... just promise me something, all right?"

With a tiny, almost mournful smile Ludwig made a small noise of agreement from his throat. "What would that be?" he asked gently. Feliciano was another thing Ludwig would miss greatly after he was gone. After so long and growing so used to the constant bright and affectionate presence that Feliciano provided he would be lying if he said that particular loss wouldn't affect him in the slightest. In fact the bubbly Atyilan was probably what Ludwig would miss the most about Relbin.

"Write to me every chance you get. Just let me know you're still alive and well – because I'm going to be constantly worried about you Ludwig." the blond nodded, ceasing the comforting motions of his hand to wrap his arm around the Atyilan's shoulders which he gave a gentle squeeze before hugging him closely. "I'll miss you so much... be careful, okay?"

"I will. And I'll miss you too, Feliciano." he murmured, attempting to keep the well of emotion building up inside him at bay. Ludwig never would have guessed it would be this hard to say goodbye to Feliciano; however he also knew that it was far better than not doing so. If he left without saying farewell then it would only end up hurting them both even more.

All the while Gilbert had watched this in silence, keeping a slight distance from the two friends as he tried to ignore the hollow feeling in his chest. There was nobody who would miss him when he left. Ludwig really was leaving so much behind that he shouldn't. Still, the albino couldn't bring himself to turn him away; after so many years of isolation Gilbert just couldn't help but give in to his own selfishness when he'd seen that Ludwig was so determined to go with him. The Sauprisian werewolf just didn't think he could handle being on his own again, not after he'd grown so used to and fond of West's company.

The guilty sensation only increased when he saw the way the other two embraced each other so tightly. In a way Gilbert supposed he should feel honoured that Ludwig was willing to leave behind someone he was so obviously very close to for him. That didn't didn't help with the guilt though, and Gilbert had to look away in a vain attempt to stop himself from feeling even worse.

"Gilbert." Hastily forcing a smirk onto his face, the werewolf looked over at Feliciano who had called for his attention.

The Atyilan was still clinging to Ludwig like his life depended on it and Gilbert couldn't help but wish he would just let go of the tall blond already. Eyes the colour of rich honey stared over at the albino mournfully as he responded, trying to keep the tone of his voice as normal as possible. "What is it, kiddo?"

Feliciano grudgingly released his best friend and made his way over to Gilbert, smiling as he opened his arms for a hug. Slightly confused at first the werewolf looked from Feliciano to Ludwig and then back again before awkwardly wrapping his arms around the young Atyilan whose arms wrapped around his neck, bringing the albino's head down so that his ear was right beside Feliciano's lips.

"Look after him for me. Knowing Ludwig... he'll try and do stupid things like give you the lion's share of food instead of making sure it's equal. He worries too much about other people and won't be giving a second thought towards himself – so I need you to do it for me, because I'm not going to be there." Feliciano's whispering came out so soft and quiet that even Gilbert's enhanced hearing had some trouble picking it up at first. Gilbert understood now what the kid was doing, West wouldn't appreciate hearing any of this so Feliciano was using his affectionate nature to his advantage. Kid was smarter than he seemed. "I'm trusting you with my best friend; and if anything happens to him I'll _never_ forgive you."

"_Verstanden._ I don't plan on letting anything happening to West so don't worry. I'm awesome enough to keep all the nasties away!" Gilbert whispered back, with a slight snigger in order to mask the hurt that had coiled within his chest that Feliciano obviously didn't trust him completely. Still he had every reason to, the only 'nasty' Gilbert couldn't protect Ludwig from was himself ... and they both knew it.

With that they pulled apart, planting determined expressions on their faces before Ludwig noticed anything was out of the ordinary. "We're ready whenever you are, West!"

Ludwig nodded, shifting the pack so that it was more securely nestled against his back before looking at Feliciano. "Remember, as soon as you spot trouble, warn us."

The Atyilan snapped his arm and hand upwards in a salute with a reassuring grin spreading across his features. "You can count on me, captain!" Feliciano assured him as he raced up a nearby staircase which would lead him to the top of the wall. They had agreed that would probably be the best place for Feliciano to have the most chance of seeing everything, and for keeping out of sight then getting away.

Ludwig's grip on the axe tightened and now his formerly free hand joined the other one on the handle of the weapon. Gilbert lay stomach-down on the ground as Ludwig approached. This would be the easiest way to get rid of as much of the chain as possible; they couldn't afford Gilbert to be slowed down with all of that extra weight.

Taking a deep breath Ludwig raised the axe above his head and brought the sharp edge of the blade crashing down on the chain. The clanging echo caused both men to wince, but now that he'd started he had to hurry. That noise alone would have brought some kind of attention to them and he really didn't want to still be here when it arrived.

A vicious snarl from nearby almost made Ludwig halt but he forced himself to keep hacking away at the offending chain. "Bloodgaze..." Gilbert glanced over at the scowling man with spiked up blond hair. "The hell do you think you're doing?" the man growled, stalking forward until his chain went taut and he was unable to go any further. "You can't just leave the rest of us here while you run free, you _hoerenjong_!" he shouted angrily, struggling against his chain defiantly, making it rattle loudly as he started spouting off what sounded like curses in his own native language.

"West, hurry up!" Gilbert hissed, trying to ignore the fresh wave of guilt. Of course he didn't want to leave his fellow werewolves here like this, but there was only so much one man with an axe could do. A loud howl of rage and frustration tore its way from the other werewolf's throat, making Ludwig freeze in fear. However once others started joining in he got back to his hacking, forcing his aching arms to move faster than before.

Gilbert snarled in frustration, glaring at the other werewolf angrily. "Shut up, you're going to get us caught! We can't take you now, but we'll come back! We'll bring reinforcements and break you all out of here too!"

Unfortunately the promise didn't seem to be enough to appease him because he just threw his head back and let loose another unearthly howl. "Ludwig! Ludwig the Handlers are on their way!" Feliciano's panicked voice reached them over the chorus of howls and confused yells around them. Ludwig cursed violently, glaring at the chain, it was nearly there, just a few more swings and they should be able to break it with ease.

"All right, get out of here now, Feliciano!" he called, swinging the axe down once more, wincing at the throbbing that shot through both his arms as he did. They could hear the voices of the Handlers and the clinking of metal armour now, silencing each werewolf as they went. The closer they got the louder each pained yelp became. Panting heavily Ludwig swung one last time before grabbing a part of the chain. "Gilbert, now!"

Instantly Gilbert was on his feet and the two of them pulled in opposite directions, grunting and grinding their teeth together with the effort. Just as the Handlers reached the blond werewolf beside them the chain snapped, a piece flying off and hitting one of the Handlers right on the forehead, making him collapse.

Ivan was right there, his eyes glinting with the promise of agony and his lips curled into a wide and disturbing smile. With a cry he lunged forward towards Gilbert, but Ludwig pulled the albino away just in time. "Run!" And they did just that, racing outwards into the dusty lifeless plains while dodging heavily armoured bodies and dangerous projectiles.

Neither man knew how long they ran for, or how long the Handlers chased them. Along the way their numbers seemed to decrease, some leaving the group in favour of returning to make sure none of their charges also tried to escape. It was hard to run on the wastelands, the dust made it difficult to spot any obstructions in their path and often one of them would stumble, meaning the other had to help steady them and keep them going.

"West! The forest!" Ludwig craned his neck to see what Gilbert was talking about. His heart started racing with excitement and hope – the Handlers wouldn't follow them into the forest ... as soon as they were within the shadows of the trees they were safe. "Come on, keep moving!" Gilbert urged. Their paces picked up despite the agony in their legs and their laboured breathing. Just the thought of reaching the safety of the forest was enough to spur them onto one last burst of adrenaline.

They could hear Ivan yelling and cursing in his Urisas tongue but neither man cared enough to look back, focusing only on reaching the forest. It wouldn't be long; any moment they would be completely free.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

Behind them, Ivan threw his metal rod to the ground and grabbed a crossbow from one of his younger peers. They might get away, but Ivan was determined that they wouldn't reach the forest entirely unscathed. As quickly as humanly possible, the large man took aim and fired four bolts at the retreating pair – his scowl shifting into a sadistic grin as he saw one embed itself into Ludwig's calf while another sliced through Bloodgaze's upper-arm.

He raised a hand to signal his fellow Handlers to halt. Those two were out of their reach now, but Ivan was satisfied enough with the damage he had managed to inflict. Besides, if he knew his little _Sabaka_ as well as he thought he did then this wouldn't be their last encounter.

Ivan was a patient man, he could wait until next time.

* * *

><p>AN: Here we go! Excitement, danger and a chase scene. Now that they're away from Relbin we'll see how things will pan out, won't we?

I've been growing pretty fond of Netherlands recently so I decided to throw him in here for a little bit and let him have a cameo appearance! Also in the last few days I've been thinking a bit about who actually turned Gilbert in the first place and have narrowed it down to a couple of possibilities. I'll put a poll up as soon as I post this chapter as I'm interested in who you think it should have been!

_**Translations  
><strong>Verstanden_ - understood (German)_  
><em>hoerenjong<em>_ - son of a whore (Dutch)__  
>Sabaka <em>_- puppy (Russian)


	11. Chapter 10

_**Chapter Ten**_

If it hadn't been for Gilbert's lightning reflexes Ludwig would have fallen when the crossbow bolt embedded itself into his calf. The werewolf had grabbed onto him - ignoring the burning pain in his shoulder - hauling one of the tall blond's arms around his neck while his free arm supported him by the waist. Ludwig was hardly the lightest individual in the world, though luckily he seemed able enough to maintain most of his weight on his own despite the bad limp that now impeded his stride.

Concerned about the sudden set-back in their pace Ludwig glanced backwards only to see the Handlers retreating back to Relbin. Apparently Gilbert had noticed as well because he allowed them to slow down for the last stretch before they reached the shelter of the forest.

"Don't sit down yet, West." Gilbert warned him seriously as he slowly let go, letting Ludwig brace himself with his arms against the nearest tree trunk.

The tall blond nodded and took a deep breath which he let out in a sigh. "Just make it quick, Gilbert." In response, Gilbert grunted an affirmative and crouched down behind the wounded leg. One hand grasped at Ludwig's ankle with a firm grip and gave a light squeeze. The albino knew this would probably going to hurt - especially when he saw just how deeply the bolt was buried into the limb.

Gilbert gave Ludwig no warning before he acted. He wanted the other man's leg to be as relaxed as possible so that he would be met with less resistance. The action was fast and not exactly gentle - Gilbert grabbed hold of the bolt and immediately yanked it out as quickly as he could, throwing the offensive projectile away.

Ludwig tensed, letting loose a cry of pain at the way Gilbert had removed the bolt. The werewolf rubbed Ludwig's arm apologetically as he eased the younger man down into a sitting position against the same tree he'd braced himself with before. "You got anything we can use as bandages in there? I don't think it's a good idea for us to be bleeding all over the place - don't want to attract unwanted attention."

Gilbert questioned, indicating the pack that Ludwig still held on his back.

Silently Ludwig started fishing through the contents of the pack, ensuring not to mess up the careful manner in which he had placed everything inside. Eventually he pulled out an old tunic – perhaps not the best thing to be using but it would be better than nothing. Gilbert wasted no time in tearing up the fabric and pushing up the leg of Ludwig's breeches to wrap up the wounded area; allowing the younger man to wrap up his shoulder afterwards.

"We were lucky Ivan's not the most accurate marksman." Ludwig hummed slightly in agreement as Gilbert sat down next to him. They could afford a quick rest here; the Handlers weren't going to follow them into the forest and after the chase both men needed to regain some of their strength before continuing on.

A realisation dawned on Ludwig, his stern features frowning as he turned his head to face his werewolf companion. "Gilbert. Where are we going now? We've escaped the Handlers, but that won't do us any good if we're just going to wander around aimlessly until something comes to us."

Gilbert smirked, showing off his dangerously sharp canine teeth and chuckled. "You worry too much, West! Which is too unawesome for people like us, you got it?" he admonished the Relbinese male playfully, his spirit starting to return to him as he waved a hand dismissively. "Besides I already said we're going to find Fritz. He moved to Vike, in Kieraun, just after I completed my Handler training, so East is where we'll head."

Ludwig didn't miss the brief downwards tilt in Gilbert's lips or the slight darkening of his crimson eyes as he spoke about Fritz. Something had happened in regards to Gilbert's relationship with his old guardian; but he wasn't going to push for answers just yet, right now they just had to focus on getting to Kieraun. After that they could worry about getting to Vike and about Fritz. For now it was best to just take things one step at a time.

For an undetermined period of time both men just sat there in silence, regaining as much energy as they could. That is until Ludwig spotted Gilbert looking towards his leg with a guilty frown and a furrowed brow.

Quickly guessing what Gilbert was thinking, the tall blond sighed and nudged the werewolf's shoulder lightly to grab his attention. "Don't worry about my leg, it's sore but it isn't going to cause any real problems."

"Doesn't matter!" Gilbert growled through his teeth. "This is exactly why I wanted you to stay behind! _Verdammt_ in the first day you got shot in the damn leg!" the werewolf snapped, glowering at Ludwig and clenching his fists. Ludwig frowned in response, not really liking the tone Gilbert was directing at him. "And now it's far too late for you to go back; the Handlers won't just let you waltz on through the Gate and back home!"

Before Gilbert could go any further Ludwig clamped a hand over the pale mouth, shifting so that he was kneeling over the albino with a stern glare on his features. "Calm down!" he barked. "I'm not the only one that got hit, but neither injury is serious! The main thing is that we're both still alive." Deeming it safe enough to remove his hand without Gilbert retorting, Ludwig released the lower part of the werewolf's face. "I knew what I was getting into when I decided to do this; it was _my_ choice and I don't regret it - so stop getting yourself so worked up, because you'll just make things more difficult for yourself!"

The albino sighed heavily and leaned forward to settle his forehead against Ludwig's broad shoulder. "You _will_ regret it, though." he muttered almost forlornly. "I couldn't handle it if you came to resent me, West." That last part was uttered so quietly, and with a tiny tremble, that it made Ludwig freeze in place. Of course it made sense, Gilbert had been alone for so long - his only human contact being Ivan. Ludwig was probably the first person in years to get close to the albino who was now clinging so desparately to his companionship.

It was Ludwig's turn to sigh as he rubbed at the space between Gilbert's shoulderblades lightly. Actions like that worked for Feliciano, so maybe it would help ease Gilbert's worries a little. "And you actually expected me to let you go on your own..." Ludwig murmured almost playfully, trying to lighten the mood. As much as Gilbert's normal demeanor could annoy him at times, Ludwig did not like to see this particular side to the albino. He vastly preferred the self-assured and playfully teasing Gilbert to this one.

Gilbert snorted and slapped Ludwig's arm half-heartedly as he grumbled against the younger man's shoulder. "Shut up." Slowly the albino werewolf pulled back, a smirk starting to return to his face, although it was still just half-formed. Their faces were still close, even as Ludwig took his hand away from the middle of Gilbert's shoulders.

Crimson irises scanned slightly over the scar across his right eye and Ludwig wasn't able to move away in time to stop Gilbert's finger from tracing over it so gently that the tall blond had to work very hard to suppress a shudder. Suddenly Gilbert was pushing himself back up to his feet, taking Ludwig up with him as he did so. "C'mon, we've rested long enough. Time to get going, it's going to take a while for us to get to Megryna's Eastern border so we'd better hustle!"

* * *

><p>AN: I don't know what it is about this chapter but for some reason it was quite hard for me to write and I kept running into blocks every couple of sentences. I don't think I'll ever be happy with this chapter but this seems to be okay enough for me to post.

Ah well, now that I have this one out of the way hopefully the next chapters should be better! Also the romance is starting to finally kick in, I think. It's taken them bloody long enough!

Let me know what you think, especially if you pick up on anything I can improve on! Hope you enjoyed it and thanks for reading!

P.S. The poll is going to stay up for another week. So far it's Tino in the lead, with everyone else tied in second place. Whoever has the most votes by next Wednesday will be the one who turned Gilbert.


	12. Chapter 11

**_Chapter Eleven_**

Progress was slower than the two men would have liked, what with Ludwig's limp preventing him from moving at his normal pace. It was also quite common for the taller of the two to bump into something or stumble because he couldn't see anything out of his right eye. Still, they were making good enough progress, all things considered. Gilbert was having to take the lead, his heightened senses meant he had a much better idea of where they were and the direction that Ludwig did.

It was odd, ever since entering the forest the duo hadn't run into any other forms of life apart from disturbing the occasional bird or small rodent. According to gossip, this place was supposedly teeming with wildlife. Yet in all the time they had wandered the undergrowth there had been almost nothing.

After three days of travelling they found themselves at a large lake in the middle of the forest. The sun was sinking low in the sky and both wanderers were exhausted. The last couple of nights neither had managed to have much sleep - too worried that something could sneak up on them while they were vulnerable. The decision to rest by the lake that night was quickly reached, the area had a calm atmosphere surrounding it which was already starting to soothe them both immensely.

As Ludwig dug around in the pack for their dinner, Gilbert started stripping. He rid himself of the old and worn tunic, then paused at his breeches to look over his shoulder towards Ludwig. "West!" the tall blond looked over at him questioningly. "You reek." Gilbert told him simply. "Leave dinner for now and let's get cleaned up. It wouldn't be awesome to miss this chance - we don't know when we'll next be able to bathe."

At first Ludwig's cheeks flared up and he looked about to decline. However Gilbert made his way over and forcibly removed the younger man's hands from inside the pack. "Leave it and come bathe. We need to get these wounds cleaned up before anything else. Can't let them get infected."

"All right, you've got a point. Now let go of me so I can strip." Ludwig sighed. He couldn't argue with Gilbert's logic on that one. They hadn't had the means to get their injuries cleaned before wrapping them up in makeshift bandages, so they had to remedy that. Should one of them end up getting infected there was no way for them to treat it. Yes, dinner could definitely wait.

Gilbert chuckled and released his hold on Ludwig, carelessly removing his breeches and unwrapping his shoulder before getting into the deliciously lukewarm water. It took Ludwig a little while as his bandages were slightly more awkward to reach. The albino watched him impatiently, his eyes taking in everything they could see about the blue-eyed male. His build was strong, made for hard graft-work. Gilbert frowned at all the scratches and bruises littering the younger man's physique, almost glaring at them for daring to be there.

He was brought back down to Earth by a nervous throat-clearing cough made by a very red-faced Ludwig. Gilbert smirked playfully, pushing his previous line of thought away. "Come on already, you're not afraid of the water are ya? Because that is incredibly unawesome."

Bashfulness instantly forgotten, Ludwig scowled at Gilbert as he strode into the water with his head held high. The act just made Gilbert let out that irritating hissing snigger once more as he waded over. "Now sit down so that I can clean your leg."

"Fine. But you sit there," Ludwig indicated the area he wanted Gilbert to occupy as he sat down at the bank. "so that I can get your shoulder at the same time." with a nod the albino did so and in silence they got to work, cleaning out each others' wounds. It was a good thing that they found this lake when they did - despite the cloth wrappings the bolt-wounds were gritty with dirt and Gilbert's shoulder was still looking quite an angry red colour around the gash.

Ludwig frowned, ignoring the surprisingly gentle way his companion was washing his leg and the tiny shudders that threatened to run up and down his spine. Instead he forced himself to focus on getting rid of anything that could prove harmful to the werewolf while trying not to hurt him at the same time. Ludwig could see the tension in Gilbert's jaw as he tried not to voice any of the aching pain. The only way he knew if he was being too rough was when Gilbert accidentally twitched and aggravated the area around Ludwig's own wound.

As soon as they were done, Gilbert decided he was clean enough and left the water to prepare something for them to eat. "Don't use too much, that has to last us as long as possible!" Ludwig warned as he waded out deeper into the water. He was going to take his time and make completely sure he was clean.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Gilbert remarked with amusement written all over his pale features. "And don't be too long, we'll need to bandage up that leg again soon." he told the younger man as he pulled his breeches back on. He didn't need to wander far to find firewood, in fact there were plenty of stray branches just lying around for the taking.

Deciding to have a quick look to make sure West was still alive and well, Gilbert glanced up from the fire he had just started. What was meant to be a brief glance turned into blatant staring before he even realised it. In the warm dusk light Gilbert could see every muscle in Ludwig's back and arms. He found himself appreciating how the droplets of water left tiny glistening trails all down the broad expanse of flesh. Had Ludwig always been so well-formed and strong? Gilbert couldn't remember noticing before...

Catching himself, the albino scowled and shook his head, holding some skewered meat over the flames to let it cook. What did any of that matter? It was only West; the albino was probably just realising how deprived he was after such a long isolation. He could probably get turned on by just about anything at the moment.

Eventually he deemed the roast meat to be edible and began separating it out equally. "Hey, West! Get your ass out of the water and come eat!" he called irritably. All through the time he had been cooking, Gilbert hadn't been able to stop himself from stealing peeks at Ludwig while he bathed and it had been slowly grating on his nerves. He was more than relieved when Ludwig pulled his breeches back on and scoffed playfully as he handed the tall blond his share of dinner. "Honestly, you take about as long getting washed as a girl, West."

Ludwig scowled. "It's hardly a crime to want to be _clean, _Gilbert. In fact you could probably have done with a little bit longer in there yourself." he bit back, which just made Gilbert snigger again. Really it was much too easy, and fun, getting on Ludwig's nerves.

* * *

><p>AN: Another short chapter, but I got done with it pretty quickly which I am happy about! So yeah we have some bathing and the start of some conflictions in Gilbert, yay! Ludwig is as clueless as ever - and we love him like that!

I just want to go ahead and make a list of the anagrams I've used for the places in this story. Feel free to just skip it if you already know or if you just don't care enough to find out. If you have anything to say then please just let me know.

Prussia - Saupris  
>Italy - Atyil<br>Berlin - Relbin  
>Germany - Megryna<br>France - Efcran  
>Spain – Napsi<br>Russia – Urisas  
>England – Dangeln<br>Ukraine – Kieraun  
>Kiev - Vike<br>Turkey – Yekurt


	13. Chapter 12

_**Chapter Twelve**_

Ludwig and Gilbert ended up staying by the lake well into the next day, instead of leaving first thing in the morning like they had planned. Neither wanted to leave the peaceful serenity or the feeling of safety that place seemed to have instilled into them. It took quite a lot of time but in the end Ludwig's resolve to press on finally got them moving again.

It was just after noon and the Summer heat was getting to them both quite badly. Up until that day the weather had been mild, resembling Spring or Fall more than an actual Summer. However the sudden wave of heat had forced the two men to remove their tunics as they pressed on.

Gilbert wasn't sure if he liked this development or not; he couldn't stop stealing glances at the younger male and despite being naked from the waist up Gilbert was finding himself getting hotter rather than cooling down. On the one hand it was quite a nice view, on the other it was incredibly uncomfortable and was only serving to make the albino incredibly irritable.

Not that Ludwig was in the best of moods either - he had never been good with hotter weather. One would have thought working long hours in the sweltering heat of the smithy would have built up his tolerance to higher temperatures, however things had not turned out that way. His naturally quite stern face was set into a constant scowl as he glared at absolutely everything that he could see out of his working eye. Whenever he bumped into something or stumbled he would curse violently at the obstructions before snapping at Gilbert for not warning him so he could avoid these things happening.

_"I might be incredibly awesome, West, but I can't do _everything_!"_ Gilbert would snap back something along those lines and they would descend into a volatile silence.

Less than twenty minutes later Gilbert had to rush forward and hook his arms beneath the younger man's armpits to keep him from falling flat on his face. Trying desparately to ignore the surge of extra heat which washed over him at just how close their bare torsos were, Gilbert snarled. "_Seien Sie vorsichtig!_ Am I going to have to take you by the hand, to stop you injuring yourself?"

He didn't mean to sound so harsh, and inwardly Gilbert cringed at the tone his voice took. Ludwig scowled at him. "Maybe if you'd pay some attention as well, this wouldn't be happening!" he snapped back. "You have _two_ working eyes - twice as many as I have!"

Everything else was instantly forgotten as Gilbert fell absolutely silent, almost frozen in place. He didn't react as Ludwig pulled himself free of his grasp and just allowed his arms to fall back to his sides. Gilbert knew that - how could he forget? _Every_ time he looked at Ludwig (when he wasn't shamefully oggling the blond) he couldn't suppress the immense feelings of guilt that churned and coiled in his chest and stomach.

"Let's just get going." Gilbert grumbled, grabbing Ludwig's right arm in order to help guide him through the trees. He had been serious earlier about taking his companion by the hand if he had to; and despite the loudly vocal protests, Ludwig seemed to allow it willingly enough as they fell into a tenser silence than the ones that had come before.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

Not a lot of progress had been made that day, perhaps they would have been better off just staying by the lake for another night? With the intense heat, Ludwig figured they could have really used the readily available body of water to their advantage.

Maybe the two of them wouldn't have been at each others' throats, either. Ever since their big falling out earlier, neither man had spoken a word. Gilbert had been quite rough with the tugs and shoves he used to guide Ludwig, but he never really let go of his right forearm. Ludwig was grateful for the effort Gilbert was putting into it all, but it was too hot for prolonged physical contact. The tall Relbinese male's entire body felt like it was melting already, but the skin beneath Gilbert's grip actually felt like it was burning.

He glanced upwards, ignoring the strange urge he had to keep Gilbert's skin in contact with his own. The sun was still in the sky, a couple of hours away from setting from the looks of it. Normally he would have wanted to keep going until the last possible moment, but Ludwig knew they were both absolutely exhausted from the heat.

A few minutes later he halted, squaring his back and legs so that Gilbert didn't accidentally topple him over. The Sauprisian looked back at him questioningly, his face was flushed dark red and his pale hair stuck sweatily to his scalp and face. He looked just how Ludwig felt - overheated and ready to collapse.

"We'd better stop for today. We can't afford to over-exert ourselves with no medical help anywhere nearby." Ludwig stated in explanation. Gilbert nodded vaguely, releasing his grip on Ludwig's arm before collapsing to the ground. Immediately he sighed in relief as his burning patch of flesh began to cooling down. There was an odd tingle where Gilbert's hand had been but Ludwig just dismissed it as the nerves regaining some feeling after having gone numb.

Ludwig sat himself down next to the werewolf and took the last of the bread out of his pack. As he handed Gilbert his slightly larger share, said albino stopped him with a glare. "Don't even _think_ about trying anything like that, West." he growled warningly, grabbing Ludwig's share and tearing off a section of his own so that it was more equal before handing Ludwig's back to him.

The slightly taller of the two sighed heavily, but didn't object. He didn't have the energy to. Although neither expressed it vocally, there were two subtle brushes of hands over shoulders in apology for how each of them had acted earlier. Forgiveness wasn't necessary, both men got the message loud and clear.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

Luckily for both of them - in the next couple of days the temperature was far more forgiving. With their moods considerably lightened and their bodies experiencing less strain things were definitely far more comfortable between the two; much like it had been before leaving Relbin.

"How much longer, do you think, it will be before we get out of this place?" Ludwig asked, taking a quick drink from the water-skin he kept attached to his hip.

Gilbert looked toughtful for a moment, tilting his head backwards to sniff at the air. He scratched lightly at the back of his neck with an apologetic shrug and an almost sheepish grin. "I'm not too sure yet, maybe another couple of days or maybe a week at most." Spotting the crestfallen expression on Ludwig's face, the older male chuckled and clapped him on the middle of his back. "Don't worry about it, my awesome instincts tell me we won't be here longer than two more days - I guarantee it." he said reassuringly.

While he wasn't entirely convinced, Ludwig just nodded and took it on board. There wasn't much either of them could really do, except get out of there as soon as they could. If that took a little longer than Gilbert thought then they would just have to deal with it.

"Okay, I've been meaning to ask this since we escaped." Ludwig raised an eyebrow at the contemplative tone in Gilbert's voice as he waited for the other man to continue. "What exactly is with you and Feliciano? The kid seems ... _very_ fond of you." _Too fond of you._ "Just the way he hangs off you, West, is there something more than friendship between you?"

Immediately Ludwig's face turned bright red and he spluttered indignantly, trying to find the words to properly protest such an accusation. "A-absolutely not! That's what Feliciano's like with everybody, I've been his best friend for years so it's only natural that I'd be a more constant target for his affections!" Ludwig blurted out defensively. "There is nothing like than between Feliciano and I. There never has been and never will be."

Gilbert made that hissing snigger of his, holding his hands up in a placating manner. "Okay, okay! Not that there would be anything wrong with that. But seriously: big, handsome guy like you? There has to be some poor man or woman that's been heartbroken by your disappearance." he prompted playfully. "Someone you were courting, or was attempting to grab your attention?"

When Ludwig shook his head, the older male frowned slightly. Something didn't seem right about that, and yet in a way he was happier with this response. "Nobody at all? You can't tell me there's never been _anyone_ like that."

After a moment Ludwig sighed and looked away. "Last year there was. I was secretly courting a young woman called Lili; I didn't even tell Feliciano about it. If word reached her brother then I would have been dead within seconds."

"No way! You and the Zwingli girl? How did you even manage to have time _alone_ with her? Vash almost cut my hand off for glancing in her direction one night when I was looking for someone at the Hare and Rose."

"Vash is on very good terms with my father ... and he didn't view me as any kind of threat to her purity. Which is why we kept it a complete secret. Lili is a wonderful woman, sweet and kind, patient and loving. While it lasted it was good, but in the end we decided we were better off remaining friends." Gilbert watched the younger man who was frowning in a way that hinted at some form of regret. Did Ludwig still care for her? Gilbert mentally scolded himself while ignoring the sickly coiling in the pit of his stomach.

When he voiced this question, Ludwig just chuckled and shook his head. "No. The decision was entirely mutual. I just wish we'd figured that out before we slept together."

* * *

><p>AN: No I didn't throw in the while thing with Lili and Ludwig back in chapter six for nothing. As adorable as sexually-ignorant-Ludwig might be, I didn't want that for this story. He's still not very experienced when compared to Gilbert but he's not completely ignorant.

There was meant to be some epic things starting up this chapter, but with the Lili bombshell I decided to push it back a bit until next chapter. Trust me when I say I think you guys will absolutely _love_ it! So yeah the next two chapters have some things to look forward to.

As usual thank you for reading and let me know what you think - what you like and anything you don't!

_**Translation**_

__Seien Sie vorsichtig __- Be careful


	14. Chapter 13

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

Although Ludwig didn't have much else to say about his relationship experiences, the conversation lasted for a good long time. It was uncertain just how much of what Gilbert said was to be believed; as was quite often the way of things with the Sauprisian the lines between fact and fiction were incredibly blurry.

Gilbert relayed tales of his 'conquests' for so long that they ended up stopping where they were - allowing him to keep on talking for a good few hours. To be fair, the number of people he had been with wasn't overly substantial Gilbert seemed to have a tendency to be with the same person a number of times. At first Ludwig was quietly impressed by it all. However, then an uncomfortable sensation began clawing at his chest. The former apprentice Blacksmith eventually had to start tuning out everything his companion was saying, to avoid letting whatever this feeling was boil over; making him do something he would likely regret.

The werewolf didn't seem to be aware of this as he kept on rambling away, leaving Ludwig to try and sort out just what exactly this unwelcome inner turmoil meant.

Slowly Ludwig felt himself growing more and more frustrated. His fists started clenching and unclenching, while his jaw tensed. None of it made any sense! Gilbert was a good friend, who just happened to have been quite sexually active before his freedom was taken away. It wasn't like that was unheard of, and yet Ludwig was really not happy hearing about any of this.

So caught up was Ludwig in all his musings that he didn't notice when Gilbert suddenly stopped talking, his eyes wide and fearful. "West!" Gilbert's hand grasped at the closest tree, cracking the bark in the process. "Ludwig!" he snapped desparately when it didn't look like the other man had heard him. Finally snapped out of his thoughts, the blond looked over to see Gilbert staring frantically upwards, his pupils dilating furiously as he seemed to be struggling to breathe.

In a haste that seemed born of absolute terror, the albino started tearing off his clothing, tossing it to the side.

"Gil...bert?" Suddenly the albino dug his nails so hard into the wood that pieces of bark fell to the ground and he cried out in agony. He looked towards Ludwig, his crimson irises flaring with fear and desparation.

"You have to run! Get out of here _now_, West!" With one glance upwards, Ludwig's eyes widened and he felt cold dispair settling in the pit of his stomach. They had forgotten the most important and terrifying thing. While Gilbert had been chatting away in their one-sided conversation the sky had darkened, bringing with it the ethereal glow of the Full Moon.

He tried to stand; to run as far away as his human legs could carry him. Ludwig's entire body shook as it remained motionless in a terrified mutiny. Blue eyes locked upon Gilbert as he gasped and threw himself against the trees, clutching his chest. "_Rennen Sie weg_!" the older man hissed angrily, reverting back to Sauprisian before he let loose a sickening shriek. Unable to move or speak, Ludwig could only shake his head desparately. He _wanted_ to run, but he was frozen to that spot.

Gilbert's entire body convulsed and he collapsed to the ground, digging his claws into the earth so hard that Ludwig feared he might snap the bones in his fingers. He screwed his eyes tightly shut as multiple spasms ripped through him. His pale flesh rippled and convulsed. Sickening cracks echoed around them as Gilbert's limbs grew longer and his body changed in shape.

Tears of agony rolled down his lengthening face as he let loose a terrible howl, revealing the dangerous fangs that replaced his teeth. "_Unter dem Licht des Vollmonds_." he rasped, stumbling backwards. With another crack Gilbert's back bent at an impossible angle. "_Wird er das Ungeheuer_." His voice was changing as well, turning gravelly and feral. Pale fur began sprouting all over his body as he shook and convulsed. "_Niemand kann seinem Pfad entkommen_,"

Low and dangerous snarls passed through Gilbert's maw as his torso snapped in the opposite direction to last time. "_weil dieses Ungeheuer Angst ist._" he gasped, eyes opening wide. The very sight of it all made Ludwig pale instantly, that feral seething anger he remembered all too well, burned dangerously like the fires of Hell itself. "_Schauen Sie zu, während er der Teufel wird_!"

Another howl tore its way through Gilbert's throat, he threw back his head as his hind legs lengthened and his snout stopped growing. The howl was terrifying, sending ice-cold chills down Ludwig's spine. He had never seen the transformation or its result before now and just the sight of it made his blood run cold.

The creature which stood hunched over, breathing heavily, could not possibly be Gilbert ... and yet after what Ludwig had just witnessed there couldn't be in any doubt that it was. Wiry grey-silver fur covered its entire body and the eyes gleamed dangerously in the moonlight. If Gilbert's eyes had been unnerving before, that was nothing when compared to this _beast_ which was watching Ludwig so intently he couldn't physically bring himself to breathe.

The once-loose metal noose was tight around its throat and rippling, deadly muscle was obvious beneath the deep, heaving chest. A low, cautionary growl rumbled in its throat as it stalked towards Ludwig on all-fours, black nose twitching as it seemed to take in his scent. All he could do was wait and watch it draw closer, fear tightening in his abdomen. This wasn't Gilbert, it was a twisted mockery of the man Ludwig had grown to call his friend. Not a man, and not a wolf but a terrifying hybrid of the two.

Ludwig visibly flinched as 'Gilbert' shoved its snout right up to his face and inhaled deeply. Its breath was foul and the warning snarl which emitted from its maw sent warm spit onto him. Once again he tried to force himself up, wanting to run as fast as Feliciano when faced with Dangelnese cuisine. He had almost managed to move a couple of inches when he froze again, eyes widening at a chorus of howls which echoed around them.

The beast tensed and started growling, hellish orbs narrowing as its head snapped towards the direction the howls had come from. They weren't the only ones here anymore; and this realisation certainly did nothing to ease Ludwig's fear.

Without any warning four large bodies, resembling 'Gilbert's' new form burst out from the trees. One noticably larger than the albino creature, another far smaller while the other two seemed roughly the same size. All of them holding the same hungry ferocity in their eyes as Gilbert. Immediately a heavy forelimb sent Ludwig sprawling onto his stomach with a cry of surprise. 'Gilbert' crouched low over him, a clawed paw resting heavily on his shoulder while the werewolf snarled possessively at the intruders.

The largest, a heavily scarred male with coppery red fur roared challengingly as the others readied themselves to charge at his command. At this, Gilbert's claws dug into Ludwig's shoulder, making him cringe, and threw his head back in a defiant howl. This was it - Ludwig was going to die, mauled to death by four wild werewolves and the man he had come to call 'friend'.

* * *

><p>AN: First of all sorry about the wait, it has been hellishly busy at work thanks to the tourist season! I know my last two chapters or so were a bit disappointing, but things are picking up again, see?

Why didn't I do a jealous Gilbert scene at the beginning? For a couple of reasons: for one I believe Ludwig to be more instantly jealous than Gilbert so his might take a while to kick in. For another, I see Gilbert as the type to try and mask it, without realising he's doing so, by trying to make the other party even more jealous. Also he likes to brag, and we love that about him.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope I didn't lose anyone because of the last two. So just let me know if I'm doing okay, because I get really insecure very easily, and so much silence these last two chapters has me quite worried!

P.S. The winner of my poll was lovable little Tino! With our Toris in close second

**_T_****_ranslations_**

_Rennen Sie weg _- Run away  
><em>Unter dem Licht des Vollmonds - <em>Under the light of the full moon  
><em>Wird er das Ungeheuer -<em> He becomes the monster_  
><em>Niemand kann seinem Pfad entkommen - <em>_Nobody can escape its path  
><em>weil dieses Ungeheuer Angst ist - <em>because this monster is fear_  
><em>Schauen Sie zu, während er der Teufel wird -<em>_ Watch as he becomes the devil


	15. Chapter 14

A/N: Okay just before the chapter gets going I want to give my response to Voiceless who left me an anonymous review last chapter! So anybody else can just go ahead with the chapter if you can't be bothered to read through it.

First of all thank you for your kind words, I'm so glad you're enjoying this little plot-bunny of mine! America x Uke!Prussia isn't really one I've ever thought about but it's certainly an interesting idea! I have a soft spot for some of the odder pairings as well - for example I'm fairly fond of Spain x Germany. Then again I just like pretty much ALL Germany pairings. When it comes down to it though, I'm not a huge fan of thinking of anyone as either an Uke or a Seme, especially when it comes to Prussia or Germany as I like to think most of the time they're open for debate on it. Then again I have quite the fondness for Uke!America.

I do like a bit of Russia x Prussia once in a while but I must say I greatly prefer Canada x Russia or Russia x Lithuania. Ah there is so much more I could say on this subject but unfortunately I think I've taken up a little bit too much space for this already...

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Fourteen<strong>_

It began too suddenly for Ludwig to catch; with an almighty roar the two medium-sized beasts lunged at Gilbert. The albino snarled and leapt forward, pushing painfully against Ludwig's shoulder as it did so. The grey one latched her fangs onto one of Gilbert's forelegs while her tan companion snapped his jaws at the albino's throat.

Gilbert ducked his head and jerked back to slam the top of his head into the attacker's throat - sending him flying with a surprised and high-pitched yelp. Without missing a single beat he then sank his fangs harshly into the female's neck and shook his jaws in an attempt to dislodge her from his leg.

Although he still couldn't quite bring himself to believe that this _creature_ was Gilbert, Ludwig couldn't ignore the surge of worry that washed over him as he saw the blood leaking from the punctures in the albino's leg once the female was successfully removed. It was irrational ... even should Gilbert succeed in driving these intruders away, he was probably going to turn on Ludwig as soon as they were gone.

Even with those thoughts in his head Ludwig couldn't bring himself to get up and run, instead he remained completely motionless - hoping to go unnoticed until all this was over.

Ludwig forced himself to watch as Gilbert pounced on the female's back and tore at the back of her neck even more. She howled in agony, leaping and shaking as she tried to get him off. The male launched himself repeatedly at Gilbert, only to find himself kicked away by a vicious swipe of a hind-leg.

Nobody noticed the smallest werewolf stalk towards Ludwig during the distraction. His pitch-black fur hiding him in the shadows, his brown eyes trained on the victim he would be taking. He crouched low, keeping his movements slow and fluid. This human was his and no-one else would steal this Turning from him. He waited patiently, lean body shuddering in anticipation until he saw his time to strike.

Almost instantly he was on top of the human, throwing his head back in a howl of victory which drowned out his victim's fearful cry. A horrible roar tore its way from Gilbert's throat as he finally snapped the female's neck. Eyes burning with such fury that the tan male crouched down whimpering pathetically, looking towards the pack-leader for reassurance.

Brown eyes met Hellish red with a confident challenge as the black male leaned down, growling into Ludwig's ear as he prepared to sink his teeth into soft flesh. Ludwig screwed his eyes shut and grit his teeth, praying that whatever happened next it went by fast and would be over before he knew it.

However the agony never came.

Gilbert launched himself towards them, forcing the small werewolf off of Ludwig. As the two tumbled they snarled and clawed and snapped their jaws at any available body-part they could reach. Unfortunately for the smaller of the two, he was built for speed and not brute force, he quickly tired - letting out terrified yelps as if pleading for help from his pack-mates. But it was too late; Gilbert sank his fangs into the black fur of his throat and raked his claws over the narrow chest. Barely seconds later the agonised howl was cut short as Gilbert tore out the black-furred one's throat and chucked it unceremoniously to the side.

The albino glared over at the remaining two, snarling dangerously as dark red liquid dripped from his maw.

With ears flat against his head the leader rose up onto his hind-legs, growling angrily while his remaining pack-mate backed off, whining. Thick and vaguely humanoid fingers twitched and flexed, preparing to reap vengeance for his fallen pack-mates. However a pleading whimper and frantic pawing at the ground from the tan male halted him. He snarled once more at Gilbert, baring his fangs for good measure, before hauling the female up into his arms and running back into the thick forest.

For a moment it seemed that the scared one might attempt to do the same for the fallen black male, however fear got the better of him and he sped off after the alpha male.

Gilbert waited until they were out of sight before letting out a satisfied snort, the tension falling away from his body as he turned back to face Ludwig who was sitting up once more. His back firmly against a thick tree-trunk as he watched the albino beast warily as it started making its way back towards him. Ludwig tensed instantly, grinding his teeth together as he forced himself to remain still. Any sudden movements could mean the end of him - even without them he thought he was unlikely to survive whatever was coming next.

The werewolf growled disapprovingly when Ludwig shut his eyes tightly, not wanting to see anything that this _thing _that had replaced Gilbert would do. He was shoved roughly by a massive paw-like hand, forcing him to open his eyes just in time to watch the beast nuzzle at his wounded shoulder. "Gilbert! Gilbert, don't...!" _Taking in the smell of my blood before tasting it for himself... _Ludwig thought, holding his breath.

He regretted all those scoldings he used to give Feliciano for being such a wuss now, fear was not something as easily overcome as Ludwig had once believed. Here he was frozen by that very thing, with a monster that embodied fear itself far too close to him for any form of comfort. However ... just like before there was no sinking of fangs into his person. Forcing himself to look into the creature's face he was surprised to see an almost doleful expression in its eyes.

The leathery underside of Gilbert's paw/hand pattered at Ludwig's collar-bone so gently, as if afraid to break him, it was like a plea or an apology. "You're not going to turn me...?" Ludwig breathed cautiously, still terrified that he may just be misreading the whole thing in a vain hope that he would survive this and still remain Ludwig. In response was an odd whining whimper before Gilbert's warm, wet tongue slid over the side of his neck multiple times. Awkwardly, Ludwig raised a trembling hand and settled it between the albino werewolf's ears, scratching lightly at the flesh beneath the surprisingly soft fur.

A low contented rumble sounded from the deep chest and Gilbert ran his tongue across the scar over Ludwig's unseeing eye. The action sent a small shudder down Ludwig's spine, it wasn't one of disgust but he honestly had no idea how to describe it. Whatever it was, Ludwig relaxed slowly as he ran a hand through the greyish-white fur of Gilbert's neck while the werewolf nuzzled and licked at his neck and shoulders.

"Right now ... you kind of remind me of the dogs me and dad used to keep." Ludwig mused quietly. Somehow the warmth of the furry body against his calmed him considerably. "Especially Blackie, her fur felt just like this - and she was just as affectionate as you're being now." this earned a half-hearted growl of indignance. Clearly Gilbert wasn't too fond of being compared to a female dog, still Ludwig just chuckled and scratched behind one of Gilbert's ears. The action was met with a rumbling of approval as Gilbert leaned up against the hand and closed his eyes.

They remained like that for a long time, with Ludwig reminiscing about Aster, Blackie and Berlitz while Gilbert snuggled up to him. Eventually Gilbert moved away and used his forelimbs to nudge Ludwig into lying down on the ground. Once satisfied, he padded softly around to Ludwig's back and settled against him, a heavy, furred, arm circling around the blond's middle while he licked affectionately at the back of Ludwig's neck.

It was only then that Ludwig realised just how tired he had become. He sighed heavily and let his eyes close - the rhythmic lapping of Gilbert's tongue slowly lulling him into the deepest sleep he'd had since leaving Relbin.

* * *

><p>AN: And here we go! This is something that I sort of had planned even before I started the story so I hope it was all right! Originally more was going to happen with it, but I refuse to delve into beastiality - to be honest - so I just let Gilbert remain like an apologetic dog instead. I do have an explanation for it as well - I know that up until this point the werewolves have been portrayed as mindless, violent monsters, but up until now none have ever actually transformed in the presence of somebody they care deeply for. Along with the monthly transformations they also gain a sort of pack-mentality - and a wolf defends other members of his pack. Also scent is their main way of recognising others. Therefore Gilbert protects the man he deems part of his pack incredibly fiercely.

I hope that didn't seem too quick with the fight part, but I felt that if I did much more then I might have to up the rating before I'm ready to do so. Also I just didn't feel it needed to be any longer than that.

Anyway I have decided that since I love all my readers that I will now be giving out some one-shots as gifts. The first one will be for whoever gives my 60th review on this story (which isn't far away, now!). All you need to do is send me a request, either via PM or in the review itself. It can be anything as long as it's Hetalia-related and I know the characters well-enough to give it a try. I'll acceot anything from Genderbends, to fluff, to angst and I'll even do little spin-offs of this series if there's anything in particular you want to see!

Thank you all for reading, as always just let me know what you think and I hope you enjoyed this epically fast update!


	16. Chapter 15

A/N: First of all I want to apologise for the wait. Work got hectic again, and then a major plot bunny for a RussLiet one-shot wouldn't leave me alone until I got it posted. I'm working on two requests as well, the one for Phoenix Fire Power has undergone three different changes in plot so far but I've finally settled on one and it should be finished soon. My USUK for darkangels1112 has the overall gist sorted but I need quite a bit of time for this one as USUK is really not my area of expertise. But I AM getting there!

Anyway here's chapter fifteen!

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Fifteen<strong>_

Gilbert groaned as the dawn roused him from sleep. He couldn't remember ever having such a smooth reversal back into human form before … maybe it was because he had been asleep through it this time around. He sighed and nuzzled his face into the firm warmth in front of him - what was it, anyway? It rose and fell slightly, as if breathing.

That was when Gilbert's eyes snapped right open and he jolted upright, gazing downwards at the groggy form of a Ludwig who was trying to figure out what had interrupted his rest. "West..." the blond was very much alive, and that realisation sent a wave of relief washing over Gilbert who grinned crookedly. Ludwig was still there, and he was all right; Gilbert hadn't turned him last night.

"Gilbert, wh-" Ludwig didn't get a chance to finish what he was saying as Gilbert threw his head back in a heaving laugh of relief, clapping a pale hand to his forehead.

"I didn't bite you! After all of that ... damn I'm too awesome to have been worrying this much!" he managed to say between the laughs. It took a moment for Ludwig to realise just what his companion was saying, and by that point the albino was grinning like a madman, gripping the blond's good shoulder. "You know what this means, right? It means that as long as we're not in a populated area we don't need to worry about the full moon!"

Ludwig nodded, sitting up. Last night had been terrifying on his part - and on Gilbert's he had to assume. "How do we know it wasn't just luck?" he asked slowly, finally awake enough to actually speak. "We can't know for sure what will happen next time..." He didn't _want _to assume the worst about Gilbert like this, but the fact of the matter was there had been unexpected circumstances last night. Ludwig may have felt safe enough to fall asleep with the wolf curled around him last night, but as far as he knew there was no telling if things would be the same next time round. Before the others had shown up, it had seemed _very_ likely that Gilbert was going to attack at any given moment.

In response Gilbert just sniggered. "I might not be in control during the transformation, West, but I'm always fully aware of what's going on." he chided. "The wolf recognised you, at first I thought I was going to attack - but I didn't. I don't know how to explain it but somehow you being there kept me calm."

Ludwig hummed slightly, Gilbert seemed convinced enough of this that he could believe the words for now. Still he was apprehensive. With a groan he pushed himself up fully and looked down at the werewolf only to immediately snap his gaze away. "Get dressed, already. Since we're both up we might as well get moving. No point in wasting daylight."

The albino sent him a reproachful glare and made a show of laying himself back down. "Let me rest a bit more." he huffed. "Transforming takes a lot out of you; I'm all sore and exhausted." Ludwig looked as if he was about to protest but eventually gave in with a hefty sigh and sat back down, still refusing to look at Gilbert while he was naked.

In his efforts to look anywhere except at the older man, Ludwig's gaze settled on the body lying not far away from them. Instantly a sick feeling settled in the pit of his stomach and he found himself unable to look away.

Just like with Gilbert, the dawn had seen him revert back to human form in spite of his death. He had been a small man, with short black hair. His dark eyes stared blankly upwards and his torso was covered in dried blood which had seeped out from the hole in his throat. Though definitely out of his teens, his form was slender and his face incredibly young. The tone of his skin suggested an Eastern heritage - probably Apnaj or Ichan. "We should probably bury him..."

Gilbert scoffed distastefully, glaring with unrestrained hatred at the corpse. "Just leave him; let the forest find some use for him." he snorted. Not caring about his friend's current state of undress, Ludwig snapped his head around to glare at the albino. "In case you'd forgotten, he would have had no problems tearing you limb from limb, just hours ago!" Gilbert growled. "He might look human now ... but I could care less what happens to that rotting unawesome corpse."

"It's not right to just leave him there to rot!" Ludwig snapped back. "Regardless of what happened last night, he shouldn't be treated like some animal!"

A low growl rumbled in Gilbert's throat as he stood up and began to search for his clothing. "Do what you want, West. I'm having nothing more to do with him - so if you want to bury him then be my guest."

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

Ludwig did bury the man, as best he could without a shovel at least. He did understand where Gilbert was coming from - but just leaving the corpse to the mercy of the elements didn't sit well with him in the slightest. With a bowed head he wished the man's soul luck with finally finding peace in the loving arms of the Matriarch.

After that they set off again.

Ever since the full moon Gilbert had been sticking closer to Ludwig than before. While this was slightly unnercing for the younger man - he really liked his personal space - he couldn't bring himself to tell Gilbert to back off. In fact he found himself kind of enjoying the close proximity - perhaps he was missing Feliciano more than he was currently aware? Yes, that made sense.

Although it was subtle - there was also more physical contact between the two of them. Gilbert's hand would make contact with Ludwig's shoulder or his hair more often than before - but that was still in the same playful manner. It was when they travelled through thicker, more treacherous patches of forest that it really became clear to him that there was something different in the way Gilbert was acting towards him.

The albino showed no hesitation in taking hold of Ludwig's wrist to guide him, or give a light shove in the right direction to avoid an obstacle he couldn't see because of his impaired sight. To top it all off Gilbert's eyes seemed to be trained on him almost constantly - it took a lot of willpower on Ludwig's part to suppress the not-unpleasent shivers the gaze seemed to be setting off in his spine.

Ludwig wasn't ready to admit it to himself but over the course of the last few days he had found himself looking at Gilbert for longer than neccessary as well. At the very least conversation had remained the same between the two men.

It didn't take much longer for them to finally leave the forest. As soon as they left the shelter of the trees, Ludwig found himself grinning and letting out a relieved chuckle as he leaned back against one of the small and sparsely scattered trees in order to bask in the unobscured warmth of the sun. Gilbert's hand was on his shoulder again, squeezing as the albino smirked in the direction of a small town which was barely an hour away from their location. "Nearly there, West. C'mon how about we rest up there tonight? We need to stock up on supplies, anyway."

Ludwig nodded in agreement. It would be good to sleep in a proper bed again. After a few minutes though, Ludwig stopped, taking hold of Gilbert's bicep to halt him as well. The albino looked back at him, raising an eyebrow questioningly. "The collar. Before we get to town I think we should try and get it off. We might be far from Relbin now but I'd rather not risk anyone recognising what it means." Ludwig explained.

Sub-consciously Gilbert's free hand moved to clutch the heavy metal around his neck - almost as if he had forgotten it was there. An odd fire seemed to start burning behind Gilbert's eyes as he gave a feral-looking smirk. "Let's do it." he agreed readily. The prospect of breaking his last link to the wall was an exciting one, Ludwig could tell. The smirk was infectious and, despite himself, Ludwig found himself mirroring it.

He couldn't use the axe - so close to Gilbert's neck it wasn't worth the risk. So they were forced to use their hands. When he was in human form there was enough room for both men to slip their fingers inside the metal loop and grip the offending collar. Four years of wear and tear had weakened it enough to give them a good head-start.

Still, it took a lot of effort on both their parts. The metal bent and groaned in protest against their insistant pulols. By the time it finally snapped both Ludwig and Gilbert were panting heavily from the effort, foreheads touching while their hands were red, bleeding and aching.

In spite of it all Gilbert was laughing, a hand clasped at the back of Ludwig's neck. At long last he was completely free of all his past connections to Relbin. Ludwig smiled - watching that great weight just disappear from Gilbert's shoulders ... it had even felt liberating to him.

As Gilbert's laughter died their gazes locked together, freezing them in place. Until that moment Ludwig hadn't been aware of just how close their faces actually were and he felt his entire body growing warm at the realisation. Ludwig could hear his mind screaming at him to move - this was too close - but his body refused to obey the commands.

Gilbert's eyes slowly glanced downwards and moved back up again - his tongue flitting across his lips swiftly. The action drew Ludwig's attention towards said lips. Just like the rest of Gilbert they were impossibly pale; though they had the slightest bit more colour to them. Ludwig bit his lower lip to try and distract himself from the sinfully enticing wet sheen left there by Gilbert's tongue.

Neither of them knew just when the kiss began or how long it lasted. It didn't even register until a tug Gilbert made at Ludwig's hair elicited a low groan from the younger man. The sound was enough to snap Gilbert back to reality because his tongue fled back into his own mouth and he quickly pulled away, clapping Ludwig's shoulder awkwardly. "We'd better get moving if we want to make it to town before sunset."

With an awkward cough to clear his throat, Ludwig nodded his consent.

All the way there neither spoke a word and they stubbornly avoided looking at each other. Ludwig's mind was in turmoil even as he requested a room for the next two nights at the inn. That was _Gilbert_ he had been kissing with such a passion - his good friend, his companion ... another man. Back home such relationships weren't all that uncommon and they were largely just over-looked. But Ludwig had never been particularly attracted to his own gender and this whole thing confused him greatly.

They had been caught up in the moment - that had to be the explanation, Ludwig concluded as he lay down in the bed by the window. Yes that had to be what had happened back there.

Even as he listened to Gilbert settle down for the night, Ludwig wasn't entirely sure he believed that.

* * *

><p>AN: Yes the kiss was very non-descriptive, but that's mostly because neither of them really knew what was going on until it ended - it was on purpose. This kind of thing was going to be kicked off later on, but this chapter seemed to have other ideas and half the things I was going to put in here got pushed back to next chapter because of the kiss and the awkwardness.

For anyone who maybe didn't get it, the dead werewolf was Japan. I don't hate the guy or anything, I just wanted him to have SOME kind of appearance in this fic and that's how it turned out, sorry to anyone who might have wanted a bit more from him. But he's gone now and I'm not doing any resurrections.

Until I finish sorting out these two requests I'm not going to take on any more, I want to actually complete this story so I don't want too many distractions - although listening to music all day has now given me an idea for a multi-chapter PruCan which I will probably have to get started on sooner or later...

Ah well, I hope you guys enjoyed it. Let me know what you thought and I will see you next chapter!


	17. Chapter 16

_**Chapter Sixteen**_

_Dear Feliciano,_

_I hope this letter finds you safe and well. I apologise for not getting into contact sooner - it is difficult to find the means to write and send a letter while travelling through a forest. We have made it safely to a small town on the Eastern border called Aghburm._

_I must say that I am missing you greatly - life isn't quite the same without you around, and I have found myself faced with much confusion, of late. I don't even know where to begin trying to figure it out; perhaps if you were here you might know what to do: you were always far better with emotions than I._

_Gilbert says we should reach Vike - that's the capital of Kieraun - in a week. We are going to seek out a man called Frederick William who lives there. I don't know if you will be able to write back, but if you can then send the letter to him and I will receive it there._

_How is everyone? Could you tell father that I'm sorry for any grief I may have caused him? If possible I would also ask that you tell Lili that I am well and assure her that I am perfectly safe. She must be worried sick right now._

_Sincerely, Ludwig._

_P.S. Remember to dress properly before leaving the house, the weather this time of year is unpredictable. And make sure to eat something other than pasta once in a while. It can't be good for you to consume so much of the stuff._

After reading it through three times Ludwig decided he was satisfied with what he had written. He had left Gilbert at the inn while heading into town to sort out the suplpies for the next leg of their journey. According to his albino companion they were maybe four days away from Kieraun itself and after that it should only take around three days to reach Vike.

To be honest he was glad to get some time to himself. The atmosphere between Gilbert and himself had been tense and awkward ever since their kiss the night before. Besides, Ludwig needed some time to try and sort his head out and he couldn't do that with Gilbert around.

Speaking of the Sauprisian - Ludwig figured that he should probably pick up some new clothes for him. Gilbert's own tunic and breeches were almost thread-bare, riddled with holes and frayed. It was unlikely they would last him much longer. His boots probably needed replaced as well ... but Ludwig had no way to even guess the measurements a tanner might need. Plus they were leaving the next morning so that didn't leave much time to sort anything out. Gilbert's boots would just have to do him for another week. They should last that long.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

Gilbert glared intently at the ceiling. West still couldn't look him in the eye and it was really getting to him. Was the younger man really so disgusted by what they had done? If he was then Gilbert could have maybe lived with that. The problem was Ludwig acting so different because of it.

Over the course of the night Gilbert had come to accept that he was definitely attracted to Ludwig in a big way; and that it very likely wasn't purely physical desire. If the blond truly didn't want him in that way then Gilbert was fine with that. He could learn to live with it. What he couldn't handle was losing Ludwig as a result. He couldn't be alone again - and for what he was planning to do after they arrived in Vike Gilbert knew he needed to have Ludwig by his side to support him. Returning to Relbin would be impossible for him to handle without Ludwig with him.

Gilbert cursed in Sauprisian, slamming his fist into the pillow. When was West getting back? The loneliness was starting to get to him ... and he needed to talk with the younger man about his plans. It wasn't something he could just thrust on Ludwig when they were in Kieraun. Gilbert had to know if Ludwig would be willing to go along with it - if he wasn't then Gilbert had a lot of re-thinking to do.

A low growl emitted from his throat; just when everything was going so well they'd gone and ruined it with that spontaneous moment of passion! His lips still tingled slightly, even now, and that only made it all the worse. There was nothing Gilbert could do about it except wait and try to figure out West's stance on things before proceeding. If he knew the blond as well as he liked to think he did then Ludwig probably wouldn't say anything or even be able to fully comprehend what he was actually feeling and therefore dismiss it in any way he could.

Granted they had only known each other about three months at this point, but Gilbert had learned to read his friend quite well in that time. At least, he liked to think so.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

When Ludwig finally returned Gilbert was staring out the window over-looking the fairly busy streets. He coughed awkwardly to gain Gilbert's attention. "I didn't think you would have eaten, so I brought something back if you're hungry." he offered a small package of what the werewolf assumed was a meat-filled pastry of some sort from one of the street vendors.

He wasn't overly hungry, but out of appreciation for the gesture Gilbert took the package with a 'thanks' and set about eating it. "What's that under your arm? I thought you were just getting supplies, West." Inwardly the Sauprisian cringed at how forced his light teasing sounded. Ludwig's distant behaviour must _really _be affecting him if he couldn't even act like everything was the same as it was before.

Having said that Gilbert couldn't suppress a small smirk at the light blush that proceeded to colour Ludwig's cheeks. The taller man cleared his throat awkwardly. "I, er, thought you could do with some new clothes. The ones you're wearing don't really have much use left in them." he mumbled, setting the two sets of tunics and breeches on the albino's bed. He then laid another set down on his own bed, Ludwig's own clothes weren't too bad but they'd mangled his spares in order to use them as bandages. "I was guessing with the measurements but they should fit well enough."

The intentions were touching and Gilbert had to chuckle and clap Ludwig's shoulder as he passed. "Then I guess I'd better try them on and see."

Both tunics were a rusty sort of red in colour and one was longer in the sleeves than the other. Good old ever-practical West, always thinking about the little things like potential changes in the weather. Gilbert could feel Ludwig's eyes on his back, trying and failing to be discreet, as he changed into the short-sleeved tunic first. Something about knowing West was watching him change was quite exhilarating - Gilbert had to admit.

It was a decent fit, and the material was of a far better quality than his old one. Still hardy enough but not rough and scratchy against his skin. The Handlers had been very stingy when it came to dressing their charges. Vaguely Gilbert toyed with the idea of trying on the breeches as well - but he figured that wasn't fair as Ludwig probably couldn't handle watching any more than he had already seen. Even if he was as unaware of what he was doing as Gilbert thought he was.

When he turned around Ludwig snapped his eyes away shamefully. The Sauprisian noted with some amusement and pride that his face had quite possibly turned redder than the ripest of Napsian tomatoes. However, now was the time to be serious - so he sat down and didn't say a word about it.

"West. I need to talk to you about some things." he said firmly. Apparently getting the hint, Ludwig sat down and looked over at him, waiting for Gilbert to continue. "When we get to Vike, I'm not too sure how Fritz will react to seeing me again ... we didn't exactly part on the best of terms." The bitterness with which he had spoken that last part tasted foul on Gilbert's tongue.

"Why is that? From the sounds of things the two of you were very close."

Gilbert nodded stiffly. "We were. It all started when I began training to be a Handler - Fritz was always against the way werewolves are treated. He spent the better part of two years trying to convince me to reconsider but I was too stubborn to listen to him." he sighed heavily and ran a pale hand through his hair. "After I completed my training he told me he was leaving for Vike; he'd heard of a santuary there called Solace. They take in werewolves and other exiles or evacuees from all over. I got so angry - I called him horrible things. That was the first time I ever saw Fritz get mad. He hit me and told me he didn't know who I was anymore. I never saw him again after that, and I was far too stubborn to write to him and apologise. It's a long-shot, but I can't think of anyone else that will help me."

Ludwig was silent, looking at Gilbert in some kind of contemplation, though he still didn't meet the older male's eyes. "There's something bigger going on, isn't there?" he asked finally. "You have more on your mind than just finding a safe haven ... what is it, Gilbert?"

Gilbert smiled weakly and nodded to confirm that Ludwig was right. That didn't make it any easier to tell him, though. It was crazy, and dangerous, but he was determined to do this if he could find the help. On his own Gilbert knew he would be slaughtered mercilessly. "I want to ask Solace to help me free the others who are still being held captive at Relbin."

For the first time since the night before, Ludwig's eyes snapped up to meet Gilbert's red gaze. "That's _suicide_ Gilbert! After all we went through to get you away from there you want to go _back_?" he hissed vehemently. "I'm not letting you do this - have you even thought about Ivan's place in all of this? The second you come within sight of the walls he _will_ be there and he will do everything in his power to destroy you!"

"I _know_, West!" Gilbert snarled. "That's why I need help. Alone, even my awesome self doesn't stand a chance - but if I can get Fritz and his colleagues to assist me then there's a chance we can at least save _some_ of the others!" Ludwig glared at him heatedly, with a deep scowl on his features as he stood up and grabbed Gilbert's tunic roughly.

"That's none of your concern, anymore!" he snapped. "I won't have you running off on an insane suicide mission and getting yourself _killed_, Gilbert! Not after everything...!" Gilbert growled and clenched his fist into Ludwig's tunic, sub-consciously pulling him closer.

"You don't get a choice in this, Westen! Damn it, I _can't_ leave them there while I walk free! I. Can't. Do. That. Do you understand me? I'll do this regardless of whether I have your damned consent or not - all you get to decide is if you're going to be with me at the time or not!"

The closeness and the tension of the situation were all too much for Gilbert - consequences be damned, he couldn't hold back from claiming Ludwig's lips again. It was a rough, domineering kiss - and yet with all his might he was begging for West not to fight him on this matter any more. The contact was cut short as Ludwig pulled away before it could go any further. He backed off, glaring at the wall while clenching and unclenching his fisrs as he breathed heavily through gritted teeth. "Fine. I can't reason with your obvious insanity!" he hissed. "If you're so intent on this then so be it, I'm not going to get in your way."

Gilbert sighed, unable to watch Ludwig's agitated pacing. He had known doing that would likely only cause more problems, but the urge had been far too great for him to fight. Ludwig ran a hand roughly through his hair, stopping to grip at the back of his head with a weary sigh. "But... neither am I going to let yourself go and get killed alone. In the name of the Matriarch, Gilbert, don't make me regret this."

* * *

><p>AN: Another kiss so soon? Yeah I was surprised by that, myself but whatever. I think my sub-conscious is trying to make up for the lack of yaoi so far. It's a quick update because I knew exactly what I was doing with it - it even ended up being longer than I thought it would be!

I'm not entirely sure about Fritz's second name. As far as I can make out from Wikipedia that's what it is, but if anyone knows different then just let me know and I'll change it.

Gilbo has a plan and he's being a stubborn little sod about it, but hey, that's Prussia for you. Yes I think that Gilbert is essentially a walking cloud of guilt, he just hides it better when he's not stressed out and worried about stuff.

Just so you guys know I love it when Ludwig gets all agitated so I'll probably try and shove more of that into this story where I can. Also he blushes so easily, who says the big strong manly guys can't be absolutely adorable as well?

Anyway I'll relieve you of my ramblings and let you get on with all the far better things you have to do with your time. As always, let me know what you thought and thanks for reading!


	18. Chapter 17

A/N: Yet another longer gap than I intended - for which I apologise. I've been stuck sharing a computer with my dad lately until my new netbook arrived. But now I have my own computer again I should hopefully get back to quicker updates! Especially since I have a lot more free time now that I've quit my job before I move for college.

Before I get on with the chapter I just want to thank Danube for the awesome review! I'm so glad you came back to this fic and you ended up enjoying it. As for the comment about Saupris, I love how that ended up working out. It was purely coincidence but I'm glad it's turned out to be quite an amusing one. I hope this chapter lives up to its predecessors!

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><p><strong><em>Chapter Seventeen<em>**

Ever since leaving Aghburm Ludwig had been scarily silent and oddly distant towards Gilbert. Whether it was because of the second kiss, the sudden revealing of Gilbert's intentions or a combination of the two was unclear. All the Sauprisian knew was that he definitely did not like the way West was acting right now.

The signls he was giving off were giving off were confusing at best - during the night he would allow Gilbert to curl around him from behind while they slept, but would never return the gesture in any way. Conversation was kept to the barest minimum, and whenever Ludwig _did _speak it ws terse and brief.

Two days into this leg of the journey Gilbert had given in to his urges and moved to kiss Ludwig's cheek before settling into sleep, only for the younger man to block him with one hand and a firm 'no'. With a scowl the albino reluctantly complied - simply nuzzling briefly at the back of Ludwig's neck and slipping an arm loosely over the other's waist. _"Give me time to think, Gilbert. I'm not sure." _Gilbert hadn't replied, instead he just nodded and left it at that. He didn't know how much time he could give West to think things through... but, because it was him, Gilbert was at least going to try.

In a way Gilbert grew a little bit more hopeful at that request - Ludwig hadn't outright rejected his affections, for now. Which meant there was still a chance for 'them'.

However, just a few days later, the werewolf was growing increasingly frustrated. He had been doing his best to give West the space he had requested - which was incredibly difficult, considering the taller male wouldn't stop staring at him while contemplating. Just _knowing _those deep blue orbs were on him made Gilbert want to jump Ludwig and claim him completely, right then and there. Ludwig was also uncharacteristically unfocused; several times the Sauprisian found himself having to catch Ludwig and stop him from falling after he stumbled over something he had over-looked in his blind-side. Every time, West would gaze intently at the albino and inch their faces closer before pulling away at the last instant.

Needless to say, Gilbert had just about had enough. Especially since Ludwig still barely spoke to him.

It was painfully obvious to Gilbert that West felt the attraction just as much as he did - the great lummox just couldn't seem to figure it out on his own. As the pair passed the hill-ridden plains, into the signature lush farmlands that Kieraun was so famous for, Gilbert made up his mind. Though he really did want to respect Ludwig's wishes, he just couldn't take this frustrating tension any longer.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

He was being cruel. Ludwig knew, in the back of his mind, that he wasn't being fair to Gilbert or to himself. At first he had considered complete distance while he thought things through - during the day he seemed to manage fairly well, at least at first. When it came to settling down for the night, though, Ludwig didn't have the heart to prevent Gilbert's new-found tendency to cuddle up behind him.

At first the Relbinese blacksmith had tried to put it down to missing Feliciano and his natural clinginess. However it soon became clear to Ludwig that this definitely was not the case. Feliciano's affections had been a constant, vaguely annoying yet they always seemed to bring that tiny smile to is features. With Gilbert it was entirely different - more reminiscent of his time with Lili: touches left oddly pleasant tingles, certain looks sent shudders of longing down his spine, and every moment spent with the other man weakened Ludwig's resolve.

Ludwig knew all of this, somewhere inside him it all registered - he just refused to acknowledge it. Every day it grew harder and harder for Ludwig to ignore, and the more he tried the worse things got.

Every time he stumbled Gilbert was there to catch him. They would end up so physically close that Ludwig found himself seeking to get closer to the body that warmed his so much just from the closeness. He always managed to catch himself just in time to stop things before anything actually happened.

Gilbert wasn't taking things very well, that much was still glaringly obvious to Ludwig. The albino was quiet, refusing to look at him - although that was also due to his own relative silence. His playfullness seemed to have vanished completely and there was a heaviness in the air between them that could only be compared to when Ludwig had avoided him back in Relbin.

This man wasn't the same Gilbert, and Ludwig was fully aware that he was the one to blame for his disappearance. Still, in a sense, this only made it all the easier for Ludwig to continue on as he was doing. He knew he should stop acting the way he was, and he did want to give in. The problem came down to the sickly coil of fear in the pit of his stomach.

Not long after they reached Vike, if everything went the way Gilbert wanted it to they would soon be on the way back to Relbin. Once they returned there was every chance that one or both of them could die. That wasn't the part that scared him - death happened, it came to everyone eventually. When it did the Matriarch would be there to lead you to a Haven of peace, watched over and protected by Teybor, her lover.

As it was, Ludwig couldn't stand the thought of Gilbert's death was already unbearable. If Ludwig were to allow himself to recognise what the tiny and irrational part of him already knew then he would not be able to cope with it.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

Their evening meal was eaten reluctantly and in silence. Neither man was particularly hungry, the heavy atmosphere between them did absolutely nothing for their appetite. At the same time they knew they would regret not taking the opportunity to eat while they could - Vike was still a full day away, they probably wouldn't arrive until after sunset.

However, that wasn't what was weighing on Gilbert's mind. At first he had been determined to force a confrontation with West, but for the last couple of hours there was something in the air he didn't like the feel of. It was an unpleasant warning chill, but Gilbert couldn't figure out what it might mean.

Deciding it wasn't worth the effort to think about it, Gilbert tore off the next chunk of bread far more forcefully than he actually meant to. As soon as he finished swallowing he fixed Ludwig with a hard stare, vaguely noting the shiver that the younger man tried to repress.

Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Gilbert froze. With a harsh Sauprisian curse he lurched forwards and forced Ludwig to the ground just in time to avoid the arrow which flew over their heads.

"Damn, Erneq ... is it just me or is your aim getting worse?" a slightly gruff female voice teased with a sneering chuckle. 'Erneq' snarled, brandishing a dagger at the dark-skinned woman threateningly. He glared at her, pushing the blade against her chest ust hard enough to draw a droplet of blood but not enough to actually harm her. All the while she smirked daringly at him.

"You've been trying my patience all day, you damned Southerner. Go on and taunt me just once more, I dare you!"

Erneq cried out suddenly in surprise as a rough grip caught his wrist and twisted his hand away from the woman. "I would advise you not to threaten your companions, Erneq. You may be talented, but you're still new to our ranks and I would not hesitate to get rid of you if it meant keeping my two girls intact." The voice was calm and icy, harbouring the will to carry out any threat made.

While they were distracted by the antics of the three, two more individuals descended upon Ludwig and Gilbert, pinning them to the ground, twisting arms behind their backs and holding blades to their throats. "I think we found ourselves a good pair this time, Naddy." a young man laughed from above Gilbert. "Just look at that one you've got there: he's got some good muscle on him, that'll fetch a high price on the markets."

An airy giggle rang out from the woman who was sitting on Ludwig's arm so she could have a free hand to run through his hair. "They'll both bring us a good amount of gold, Benji." she agreed. "It's such a shame though... I bet Gathoni and I would have a lot of fun with them."

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><p>AN: The main problem with lovely scenery like that of Kieraun - there's nowhere to hide yourself from the bloody slavers.

Just a little something I want to throw out to my readers: I'm going to be going to the London MCM comic-con in October this year, and I was wondering if any of you were going as well? I'm thinking of going as a female Germany, so that should be fun!

Anyway, I'd love to know what you all thought so please let me know! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, I didn't particularly enjoy writing it - this chapter REALLY didn't want to be written for some reason. And just before I leave you for the time being I'd like to let you all know that the next target for a requested one-shot is 95.


	19. Chapter 18

_**Chapter Eighteen**_

Once he recovered from the shock and getting the wind knocked out of him Gilbert snarled viciously, struggling against the weight on top of him. He didn't like the way that woman was touching Ludwig, nor was he fond of that glint in her eyes. Ludwig must have bashed his head when he hit the ground, because he put up no resistance as the tall woman gagged him and started cooing in a Southern language that Gilbert couldn't understand.

"Get off him!" Gilbert barked, only for the man on top of him to push his face roughly against the ground with an odd warning sound in his throat. This man was heavy, and he still had that blade at Gilbert's neck.

"Not a chance, mate. You two are coming with us to Baserul." Just _hearing_ the over-confident smirk in the man's voice was making Gilbert's blood boil. "There's a big event there next week – you and your mate, here, you're gonna be coming with us! Don't you worry, we've got plenty others to keep you company."

The woman on top of Ludwig smirked at Gilbert maliciously, leaning low over Ludwig to make a show of swiping her tongue around the outside of the blond's ear. Her smirk only widened at the irate cry that tore out of Gilbert's throat. She giggled when her companion dug his foot into the back of the albino's knee. "Don't harm him too much, Benji. Every injury brings down the price the customer is willing to pay. No-one likes damaged goods after all."

"West!" Gilbert snapped, eyes flashing dangerously. If only he could move his head without potentially getting his throat slashed. "Snap out of it!" he urged desparately, if he could just get Ludwig out of his daze then he could throw off that woman easily and take advantage of the upperhand the element of surprise would give him over her.

The three who had been busy arguing before, now made their way over. The man Gilbert assumed to be in charge didn't stand much over an average height - and his skin, though still dark, was lighter than either of the two women. What got to Gilbert though was the eerie amber-like shade of his irises and the coldness of his voice.

"What's taking you two so long? Finish restraining them and let's be gone from here. I don't want to miss a single day of this event." The man fixed his two underlings with a stern gaze, only to have the woman next to him snigger and touch his arm lightly, while Erneq simply scoffed and looked away.

"Calm down, mate, we're just playing with them a little bit - you know how Nadifa gets when she's excited!" Benji grinned placatingly, raising his hands to the air. That was probably the biggest mistake he could have made: as soon as his arms were unintentionally released, Gilbert twisted and sank his teeth harshly into the arm that held the knife.

Nadifa and Gathoni shouted in outrage, only just matching the volume of their companion's surprised cry of agony. Gilbert's feral snarl as he was torn away was amplified by his bloody lips and jaw. His lips curled into a sadistic smirk. "You're lucky the most that's going to do is maybe get infected! If I'd done that in a couple more weeks you'd have been ruined for life." he cooed through that hissing snigger of his. Benji's face paled immediately in realisation as he cradled his injured arm.

The albino's smugness was short-lived as Gathoni jerked his head back, glaring right in his face while Erneq held a blade to Gilbert's throat. "So we bagged ourselves a mutt then." Erneq stated, scrunching up his face in distaste. "Can't sell him on or we'll lose customers. But you're the boss, Gupta, what do you say?" he questioned gruffly.

"If we can't sell him then he's of no use to us." Gupta told him simply. "Take Benjamin back to camp and get that wound looked at. Nadifa, finish restraining his friend."

Gathoni smirked, dark eyes glinting in anticipation. "Does that mean you and I get to have a little fun with this one?" she asked, holding her own blade to Gilbert's neck as a grumbling Erneq moved to follow Gupta's orders. Gupta himself just made a small sound in his throat to confirm Gathoni's inquiry which made her cackle with glee. "Good ... I have a feeling this one might turn out to be quite fun."

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

Ludwig groaned, unable to figure out what was going on. There were voices around him: shouts and laughter, but he couldn't work out any of the words accompanying them. Why did he feel so heavy right now? And why was he so groggy? The last thing he remembered was Gilbert shoving him to the ground hastily.

Gilbert. That was one of the voices he recognised.

"West! Wake up already you great lummox!" The albino's voice cut through him before it was interrupted by the sound of a body hitting the ground and a heavy groan. That was when Ludwig became aware that he was being moved by someone else - Gilbert's voice had been too far away for it to be him.

At that realisation his eyes snapped open and he lashed out an arm to hit whoever had hold of him. He heard a woman cry out as he made contact with her jaw, while his free hand tore off the gag. For a moment the whole world froze around Ludwig as his eyes fell on Gilbert's body on the ground, with two armed strangers attacking him relentlessly.

Instantly an enraged roar erupted from Ludwig's throat and within seconds he grabbed the closest offender and threw them to the side with a sudden wave of strength that washed over him. Before she could react the woman was hauled up off her target by her throat, feet dangling in the air, until she was faced with the dark anger in his eyes.

"I don't know who you think you are..." he hissed venemously. "But you will _not_ be laying another finger on him! Do you understand me?" Gathoni nodded frantically as she desparately tried to pry his hand off her throat. However this only made his hand tighten, resulting in a choked gasp escaping her lips.

Ludwig didn't even flinch when two knives pressed against his back. His blood was boiling too intensely for him to register except his desire to get rid of these strangers. "I suggest you release my companion. Before Nadifa cuts the throat of yours." Instantly Ludwig's eyes narrowed and his teeth clenched. He was already seeing the world through a red haze - and that comment only brought him closer to fully boiling over.

"You harm him in any way, and I can guarantee none of you will leave here alive." the tall blond ground out threateningly.

Behind him he heard Nadifa giggling manically. "Isn't that sweet, getting all protective over the little dog. What are you, his lover?" When Ludwig tensed further, inciting a renewed struggle from Gathoni to break free, Nadifa only laughed with unrestrained glee. "You _are, _aren't you?"

Ludwig could feel Gilbert's eyes on his back. "Shut up, woman! Damn it, West, don't you _dare _let them get to you!" Gilbert snapped. Hearing the pained hiss which followed that outburst was the final spark needed to ignite the irate inferno within the normally calm and collected male.

His free hand tore the handaxe from his belt and he whirled around, slamming the woman he still held into Gupta and sending them both flying. He advanced towards Nadifa, gripping the axe so hard his knuckles were turning white. Suddenly she looked unsure, backing away with Gilbert still at her mercy. Her dagger pressed a little more roughly against the albino's neck and a droplet of blood trickled down the side of it. "Stop! Stay right where you are or your pet gets sent straight to the Matriarch!"

Ludwig didn't bother responding to her - she was too scared to face the consequences of following through with that bluff, and he knew it. "If you value your life then I suggest you release Gilbert, immediately!" Ludwig growled. There was an odd jerking twitch as Nadifa instinctively moved to obey him but ended up shakily staying put.

A strangled cry left the blond's lips as a knife suddenly sliced through his upper arm, halting his progress. "I don't want to have to injure you, any further." Gupta assured him coldly. "So I'm going to make you an offer for this to end smoothly: come with us willingly and we'll let both you and the mutt live, but you have to leave him behind. What do you say?"

Gilbert was about to protest loudly, only to be stopped by a thick gag covering his mouth. Ludwig remained completely silent, eyeing Gupta warily as the Southerner moved fluidly to stand in front of him. He eyed the hand he was being offered with heavy suspicion even before Gupta spoke again. "Well, do we have a deal?"

"No. I refuse to negotiate with low-lives such as you." and with that Ludwig hacked at the other man's stomach with the axe. The two women shrieked and rushed to Gupta's side as he clutched at the heavily bleeding wound and cried out in pain. "Take him away... if I see _any_ of you come near us again I can assure you I won't be so merciful."

As soon as they ran off, Ludwig dropped the axe and collapsed to his knees in front of the kneeling Gilbert. He was bleeding, and bruises were beginning to form, but from what Ludwig could see there was no serious harm done. "Thank the Matriarch..." he breathed in relief, clutching at the back of Gilbert's head.

The Sauprisian chuckled, resting a hand on the arm Ludwig had out. "I have to say, West ... for someone still being trained, that was pretty damned awesome."

Ludwig smiled, wrapping his free arm around Gilbert's waist and pulling him into a deep kiss. It took a moment for the older man to respond, but soon enough leanly muscled arms encircled Ludwig's shoulders and before either of them knew it Gilbert's tongue coaxed Ludwig's out to dance.

As they groaned into each others' mouths and attempted to pull one another so close their bodies melted together, Ludwig let go of his former inhibitions about this. He couldn't resist Gilbert any longer, and he didn't want to. It had been a close call with those people - he had genuinely been terrified for a while that he might not have been able to save Gilbert. Now, even if the future was still unclear, Ludwig knew he didn't want to waste a single moment he had left with the albino.

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><p>AN: Haha, finally Ludwig, finally! I don't really have much to say on this chapter, except that I'm actually quite happy with it all. Which really makes a change for me, let me tell you!

As for the slavers, you should all have figured out that the leader was Egypt. And if you didn't then you know now. His subordinates were, I guess they were OCs, Erneq was Greenland, Benjamin was New Zealand, Nadifa was Somalia and Gathoni was Kenya.

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! And just a heads up but I think there will likely be smut next chapter - at long last!

So let me know what you thought, I will get the next chapter up as soon as I can and remember that whoever makes the 95th review gets a requested one-shot from me!


	20. Chapter 19

_**Chapter Nineteen**_

When Ludwig kissed him, Gilbert was all too happy to respond. The rest of the world around them just melted away as he curled his fingers into the thick blond of West's hair; each and every groan that flowed from Ludwig's mouth and into his was like a jolt through Gilbert's entire body and it exhilirated him.

This kiss was vastly different to the previous ones - Ludwig seemed to be using it in order to convey everything he couldn't find the words to say, and Gilbert figured he understood. There was an apology in there, as well as countless promises; while he didn't really know the contents of it all, Gilbert got the gist of it when West's hands clutched at his hips almost possessively.

Ludwig barely grunted when Gilbert pushed him down to the ground, setting his legs on either side of the younger man's hips as he pressed his chest right down onto West's. Their contact was filled with searing heat and unbridled emotion, if Gilbert had been capable of thinking through the haze then he may have attempted to slow things down a notch or two. The hunger behind the kiss was mounting rapidly in both parties as they grasped at every inch of the other's back, pulling each other so close their lungs were practically being crushed.

When Gilbert pulled away for some much-needed air he gazed down at the heavily flushed and panting man beneath him. It took everything the albino had not to flip Ludwig over and just ravish him right there and then. With a low growl Gilbert latched his lips onto Ludwig's jaw.

The Relbin native groaned and tangled his fingers into the pale tresses of Gilbert's hair, running over his scalp. When those calloused fingers rubbed at a stretch of skin just behind his ear, Gilbert instinctively pressed closer against Ludwig, muffling a moan against the blond's neck. That was new, as far as he remembered he had never been sensitive there before. However when Ludwig experimentally touched the skin behind both ears, Gilbert really couldn't complain about the development.

"Rngh... West...! As much as I like you doing that, you'd better stop unless you want me to snap." he groaned warningly, nuzzling at the underside of Ludwig's chin. Reluctantly the younger man did stop the actions, in favour of gingerly cupping both sides of Gilbert's rear and kneading them with his hands.

For the longest time that was how things remained: the two men pressed up against each other (though the position kept changing), heatedly smothering every inch of skin they could reach in kisses while their hands roamed over every possible dip and curve of their clothed bodies. Gilbert felt like he was completely on fire, and his mind had descended into a haze of need and desire.

It was as if nothing existed outside of West.

After a harsher than normal bite to his shoulder, Gilbert let out an odd growling groan and pulled back so he was sitting on Ludwig's thighs. The blond tried to sit up slightly, looking at Gilbert in concern. "Was I too rough?" Gilbert didn't respond, instead he began to free Ludwig of his tunic.

His pale lips curled into a smirk at the way West squirmed and shivered from the cold air. "Don't you worry... I'm going to warm you up real soon, West." Gilbert crooned, running a finger tip teasingly down the middle of his torso. Taking advantage of the daze West seemed to have fallen into - Gilbert took hold of his breeches and began to remove them as well.

As soon as Ludwig felt the cold hair actually reaching his hips his eyes widened and his hands caught hold of Gilbert's wrists. "Stop! We can't do this!"

While Gilbert did halt his actions, his eyes snapped furiously up to meet Ludwig's as a snarl passed through his teeth. "I can't understand you!" he hissed, leaning right down so that their faces were inches away and wrenching his hands free to place them on the ground on either side of Ludwig's head. "What the hell do you keep _running_ from? I can't keep backing off while you have your internal dilemmas!"

Ludwig opened his mouth to defend himself only for one of the albino's hands clamped itself roughly over the lower half of his face. "No! I'm sick and tired of not knowing where the Hell I stand in all this! Whatever this is, I'm _not_ the only one feeling it." Gilbert snarled viciously, all his frustration leaking through into his voice. "Damn it, I will not let you keep running away, West. You're going to need to face this eventually because, as much as you keep denying it to yourself, you want this just as much as I do!"

Around half-way through Gilbert's rant, Ludwig had turned his head so he wouldn't have to keep looking into the angry red eyes. That only made the werewolf all the angrier. He growled dangerously and forced the younger man's face back into looking at him. "You have a choice, and you have to make it right here, right now. We put an end to whatever it is we have before it even begins. Or you can man up, quit being so unawesome, and accept there's something between us!"

The silence which followed was suffocatingly heavy. Neither man seemed to be breathing as they watched each other intently. A few times Ludwig's lips parted, as if to speak, only to close again almost immediately. Eventually his brows knitted together in a scowl. "Damn it all!" he growled, suddenly clutching the back of Gilbert's head and crushing their lips together again.

After the initial shock, Gilbert kissed back heatedly. He was unable to catch the disappointed keen before it left him when Ludwig pulled away. "I'm going to need to ask you to wait just a little bit longer, though... until we get to Vike."

"What's wrong with right here? We've both got quite big problems at the minute that I think really need taken care of, West." Gilbert insisted, lowering his head to nibble playfully at Ludwig's ear. "Come on, what's the difference between now and tomorrow night, hmm?"

Ludwig groaned and weakly batted Gilbert's shoulder reproachfully. "I refuse to do something like this outside!" it was meant to be a snap, however it ended up sounding far from intimidating with the moan that ended up lacing the words. The albino werewolf smirked and sniggered in amusement.

He patted Ludwig's cheek teasingly. "Don't worry, _meine Prinzessin des Westens_. We don't have to expose your overly delicate ass to the elements to relieve ourselves." he crooned with a playful wink. To emphasise his point he ground their clothed erections together in an agonisingly slow action. Immediately Ludwig groaned and threw his head back from the overwhelming sensation.

"See? No nudity required." Gilbert sniggered before looking very pointedly at the man below him. "But when we reach Vike and check into an inn ... I won't accept anything less than complete lack of clothing. Understand?" Before Ludwig could even open his mouth to respond, Gilbert rolled his hip again in a harder and faster motion.

Ludwig took a firm hold of Gilbert's hips, forcing him into staying still as he mimicked the albino's actions from before. The encouraging vocalisation from the man above him was all either of them needed to get started.

It didn't take long before the two of them were writhing and placing heated kisses against every available bit of revealed skin they could reach. Blissful vocalisations were muffled against skin as they took it in turns to grind their aching manhoods together.

Ludwig's grip on Gilbert's hips tightened as he tore his face away from the older man's neck and let loose a cry of utter ecstasy when he reached his limit first. Instead of allowing Gilbert to just ride out the rest of the time he needed, the blond shifted so that he was sitting up and started massaging Gilbert's length through the breeches.

Gilbert's sweaty forehead found a home in the crook between Ludwig's neck and shoulder as he groaned and bucked against that strong hand. Once he was done they sat like that, panting heavily and occasionally placing a tender kiss on the other's temple or cheek.

Maybe things weren't ideal - but for now it was easy enough to pretend things were damn near perfect.

* * *

><p>AN: I'm putting my apology for the lateness down here so that you could all just go ahead and ready the chapter without having to skip it over in your eagerness for this update. Things have actually been very hectic recently - I've had to move roughly 800 miles away for college, and have only just unpacked everything and settled in. Also I had a piece I needed to finish for a magazine back home (which I had been chosen as the author of the month for). So all that, plus a few other things, including my first borthday without my parents, and being thrown a leaving party that I didn't want - I just had no time to write up this chapter.

But now it's out and that's a huge weight off my shoulders!

I know I promised smut, but this was as close as I felt it could get this time around. Because I really do think that Ludwig would be like that and hate the very idea of sleeping with someone outside in the dirt. At least until Gilbert manages to break him down a little bit *smirk*.

So, yeah. Hopefully this will mark me being able to get back to quick updates for you guys, because the excitement begins real soon! I also spent a heck of a lot of time sorting out roles for just about EVERY Hetalia character under the sun for this world. Most of them won't even get more than a nameless cameo, but I'm thinking that I'll start up some more fics in this universe with the different characters.. Assuming the muse takes me for it.

If you guys have any suggestions for those then let me know! Also, as always tell me what you thought of the chapter. I love you guys so much for reading, you really make writing this story worthwhile!

EDIT: Silly me, I forgot the translation! While it should be fairly easy to work out, I'm going to put it in here anyway.

_**Translation**_

__meine Prinzessin des Westens -__ My Princess of the West, or my Western princess.

It's just a little play on the nickname West and the fact that Ludwig doesn't want to get it on outside.


	21. Chapter 20

_**Chapter Twenty**_

Ludwig couldn't remember a morning when he had woken up feeling so content. He had no desire to fight the sun and slip back into unconsciousness – preferring, instead, to tighten his arms slightly around the sleeping form curled up against him. With a faint smile, Ludwig nestled his chin lightly upon Gilbert's shoulder. He could still smell the almost-sex from the night before clinging to them, and the crusty sensation in the front of his breeches was quite uncomfortable. However, as he lay there just holding Gilbert, he found that he didn't mind too much.

He lay like that for a while, unwilling to get up and move as it would mean disengaging from the albino he was holding. They needed to get moving, though. Ludwig was not willing to risk any more run-ins with slavers or any other vagrants that might be roaming the grasslands. The sooner they reached Vike, the safer he would feel and they could really relax. At least for a little while.

"Gilbert." he murmured, giving the werewolf a light shake on his arm. Gilbert simply grunted and nuzzled closer to Ludwig's chest. It took a few tries, but soon enough Gilbert was roused from his slumber. He glared dazedly at the tall blond, grumbling something about the sun being too bright and going back to sleep. "No, we have to get going." Ludwig told him firmly, sitting up so that Gilbert didn't have him to curl up against any more. "You can sleep tonight, when we'll have a real bed to lie in."

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were a bigger taskmaster than Chief Adnan, sometimes." Gilbert huffed half-heartedly, ignoring the raised arch of Ludwig's eyebrow. It wasn't like he was forcing the albino to run around for an hour and a half before chopping a week's worth of firewood, making breakfast and then carry him the entire way to Vike.

Noticing the look on Ludwig's face, Gilbert chuckled and slid an arm around his neck to pull him closer. "I'm kidding, West. Don't take everything so seriously!" he admonished, nipping playfully at the nearest of Ludwig's ears. "And remember ..." he breathed teasingly, a blatant smirk spreading over his face "you owe me, when we get to that inn."

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

Although Ludwig had been reluctant at first, Gilbert had been insistant with his constant touching. As far as he could figure out, the longest period of time they went without some kind of physical contact during the day was probably about ten minutes at the most.

Eventually Ludwig just stopped fighting it, not even really knowing why he'd been so resistant at first. He allowed Gilbert his miniature attentions, even occasionally built up the resolution to act on his own. The motions were small, hesitant and few in number – nevertheless, each time his arm would gingerly snake its way around Gilbert's waist a wide grin would spread across the albino's features.

_"Relax already, West. I ain't going to bite if you get too close!"_

_"Easy for you to say, I'm not used to this kind of thing!"_

With Lili he hadn't been able to risk these kinds of physical shows of affection, for fear that Vash would catch wind of what was going on. When they could hold each other easily, things were more desparate because they had no idea when the next time might be.

There was no such danger with this... could he call it a relationship, yet? Ludwig wasn't entirely sure what to label this as, he just knew it felt nice. At the same time he wasn't particularly confident about how to proceed. There was no set guidelines for this kind of thing – that was impossible as each person and coupling had far too many differences in personality and chemistry. Until he found his way, Ludwig was going to have to let himself be led by Gilbert. Not that he didn't trust the older man ... he just didn't like having to depend on other people aside from himself.

Seeing that Ludwig was still tense about the whole thing, Gilbert couldn't stop that hissing snigger of his from escaping him. He shook his head, turned Ludwig to face him and pulled him down for a deep and reassuring kiss. "Quit worrying so much, you big lug. It'll turn you grey long before your time." In response Ludwig just grunted and firmly placed his arm around Gilbert's shoulders, forcing the continuation of their journey.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

They arrived in Vike without any further incidents, nobody had bothered them since Ludwig drove away the Slavers. Either they'd just got lucky or word had spread, either way neither were complaining in the slightest.

In fact, by the time they checked into the first inn they came across, both men were far too preoccupied with each other to notice much else. In the last couple of hours Gilbert had become quite teasing in the way he used his fingers. He would rub deliberately against the lower part of Ludwig's spine, making him shudder, biting his lip against wanton moans.

He wanted to just storm past the owners, find a room and descend into the fits of passion he could feel threatening to overthrow him. Ludwig had no idea how he managed to keep his voice steady as he requested a room nor how his demeanour remained calm as they meandered behind the landlord.

Once the door was shut behind them, Ludwig had Gilbert pinned up against the wall. One hand grasping the albino's hip firmly while the other angled Gilbert's head so he could accurately crash their lips together. Long spidery fingers clung to the back of his tunic as the older man groaned and arched against him. When he eventually had to pull away for air Ludwig growled needily. "You're insufferable, Gilbert!"

Gilbert simply smirked, moving his hands down to squeaze Ludwig's buttocks. "I don't see you complaining. In fact ... I'd say you're pretty damn up for it." he crooned teasingly. Ludwig growled again and moved to capture those pale, slightly swollen, lips again – only for Gilbert to duck out of the way and somehow slither free of his clutch.

"No you don't." he chided as Ludwig turned around to face him, a cocky smirk curling at his lips. "This is _my_ reward, for holding back last night. _I'm _the one in charge right now." As the younger man opened his mouth to voice a protest, he held up a hand to silence him. "Strip." his voice was firm and strong. It struck a low, commanding chord that left Ludwig with nothing but a strange compulsion to obey. Crimson irises glinted hungrily and a pink tongue darted over thin lips as Gilbert watched Ludwig shed his clothing intently.

When Ludwig stood entirely naked, he looked to Gilbert in a questioning manner. Wanting to know what was to come next. The Sauprisian simply stood at first, drinking in the sight. They'd seen each other naked when bathing, but properly taking in the details was a whole different story. Strong, defined muscles that weren't too heavy or bulky for Ludwig's sturdy frame. Slightly thinner legs than might be expected – which, on further inspection, were simply far more toned than the rest of him.

Gilbert had to admit, the way West was looking away with that flush under the heat of his gaze only added to the desire pooling in his stomach.

Slowly he stalked over, and Ludwig gulped. He thought the level of scrutiny alone would be enough to make him explode while Gilbert circled him, seeming to take hours, and sizing him up like a starving wolf would to a prime cut of meat. "You work hard to keep up this physique don't you?" Gilbert sniggered, leaning in close from behind. His hot breath ghosting over Ludwig's ear and making the hair on the back of his neck bristle. "I never would have guessed you were so vain, _Westen_." Ludwig couldn't help but shudder. Something about the way Gilbert pronounced the Sauprisian version of his nickname made him grow even hotter.

A hand carressed his thigh, making massaging motions that led steadily upwards. Agonisingly close to his already erect member. Never touching it, though. Suddenly the contact was gone and Gilbert was in front of Ludwig, slowly lapping at a weak spot on his throat they discovered last night. With a tight groan, he made to tangle his fingers into that mess of pale hair, only for Gilbert to grab his wrist.

"No. You just stand there and look pretty. I want to take my time and _savour _as much of you as I can."

It was difficult, but Ludwig did _try_ to comply. Gilbert deliberately kept so close that the heat radiating off him left Ludwig ready to throw him down and finally get some kind of release. He had attempted to touch himself for a little bit of relief, only for the werewolf to growl warningly. It was frustrating, but he hadn't tried to do it again yet.

Gilbert always had a hand as well as his lips somewhere on the younger's fair skin. He was moving all around, caressing Ludwig's arms, his legs, his torso and everywhere else he could reach. Eventually he came to a stop right behind the taller male, hands lightly tracing circles on his hips. A low groan sounded from Ludwig's throat when he felt Gilbert's tongue teasing his lower spine. He could actually feel the smirk against his skin. "Like that, do you?"

He could only nod in agreement, lust-induced haze hindering the power of speech. His spine had always been pretty sensitive, and Gilbert seemed to have picked up on that quite rapidly considering how much he was concentrating on it.

Ludwig's hands twitched. His loins were aching. Gilbert's hands and tongue were driving him crazy! His eyed snapped wide open and Ludwig had to clamp his mouth onto his forearm to muffle the obscene noise that passed through his lips. Gilbert was lazily swirling his tongue around Ludwig's entrance. The practical half of Ludwig's brain screamed in disgust, however it was drowned out by the rippling pleasure that threatened to buckle his trembling knees.

"_Bed_...!" Ludwig managed to rasp, his voice shaking with desire and a warning he couldn't properly word. Luckily it looked like the Sauprisian werewolf understood because he did withdraw his face from Ludwig's rear and practically threw him onto the bed.

Within seconds he had clambered on top and attempting to crush their lips together, only for Ludwig to turn his face away with an indignant vocalisation. "You're not kissing me after where you've just had your mouth!" he hissed in disbelief that Gilbert would even attempt something so sickening. The older man simply rolled his eyes and shook his head in a huff, but didn't press the matter. Instead he moved off and settled himself at the bottom of the bed, between Ludwig's legs.

"I think you've been really good so far." he crooned as Ludwig propped himself up with his arms to see what the other was doing. "So I'm gonna give you a little reward, _Lämmchen._" Gilbert chuckled, casually nuzzling the side of his face against the blond's groin. Before Ludwig could even question what he was going to do, a moist heat suddenly surrounded his length, making him moan loudly. Suddenly he couldn't form more than a few coherent syllables, even inside his own mind. He couldn't focus on anything except the heat and the sinful motions that tongue was making against his engorged organ.

He whimpered and twitched, trying to buck and feel more of that amazing cavern. Gilbert, however, firmly held his hips down against the bed. By the Matriarch... this was absolutely amazing.

* * *

><p>AN: I know it's probably cruel to leave it off here, but I sort of figured I'd leave the rest to your, now, fertile imaginations. It's not out of laziness, though. In a way it's sort of because I think that's probably the last real coherence we'll get out of Ludwig, I don't like changing POVs in the middle of chapters except in certain cases. Also because I need to get things moving again so I can't be held up so much by the smut.

I was actually going to have another similar situation to the last chapter where they never really got around to the actual sex part. However I decided that would be far too cruel, so you get this instead! At some point I might just write out the full scene, but for now this is all my brain can really cope with - as it really wants to get back to the plot.

I hope you guys enjoyed it! Please let me know what you thought, as usual!

P.S. I don't know if my updates will be as regular as they used to be at first, as I have now started attending college and I am looking for a new job to help me get by while I am studying. I will still try and update as often as I possibly can, though so don't worry too much!

_**Translation:**_

__Lämmchen - __Little Lamb


	22. Chapter 21

_**Chapter Twenty One**_

Neither Ludwig or Gilbert had anticipated just how difficult it would be to track down Frederick once they got to Vike. Compared with Relbin it may have been fairly small, only an average-sized town. The difference came in how densely populated Vike turned out to be: every few feet were stalls filled with farming families serving their wares. Aside from them the streets were packed with people, the air filled with shouts and general chatter. It was difficult to even grab someone's attention long enough to ask about Frederick's wherabouts.

In order to even stay together in the heaving mass of people, Ludwig held tight onto Gilbert's hand while the albino led the way. With a low growl, the Sauprisian tightened his hold on Ludwig's hand and started shoving unsuspecting civillians out of the way until they reached a fairly empty courtyard. The younger man let out a relieved sigh and looked over at Gilbert. "This is going to get us nowhere."

Gilbert grunted and nodded in agreement, collapsing down on a low stone wall and running a hand through his hair. "Vike wasn't anywhere near this busy last time I passed through." he sighed tiredly. "We've been on the go for only a few hours, and I'm even more exhausted than I ever was on the way here."

Slowly Ludwig nodded – he was very tired as well. Never would he have expected something so simple as moving through a crowd could turn out to be so taxing! "There's no way we're going to find Fritz like this!" Gilbert snapped in frustration, slamming a clenched fist onto the stone surface next to him. "What the Hell was the point in all this if when we finally _get _here it's impossible to track him down?"

He probably would have continued if Ludwig hadn't grasped at the back of his neck firmly and forced Gilbert to meet his gaze as he knelt down in front of the other. "We _will _find him, Gilbert. And we'll do it because we have to! I might not want you going ahead with this suicidal plan … but I told you I would be there. So we'll find Frederick Wilhelm – even if it takes weeks." As though the sheer forceful determination behind Ludwig's words weren't unexpected enough, Gilbert grunted in surprise when the hand on his neck pulled him upwards into a reassuring kiss. "So don't you dare give up, Gilbert. Do you understand me?"

Slowly a broad grin spread over Gilbert's face and he started sniggering. Just yesterday Ludwig never would have even attempted such an affectionate display. The Sauprisian male definitely was not complaining. "Understood, West." he confirmed with a light nod, briefly gripping the larger man's bicep before standing up again. "Well come on then! Fritz is bound to be around here, somewhere!"

A softly dignified voice called out to them from a few feet away, stopping them from going anywhere. "Excuse me, pardon my intrusion on your conversation." The young man addressing them was tall with a noble but gentle face who held himself with dignity. "However I couldn't help but overhear you were looking for Frederick Wilhelm, am I correct?"

Gilbert's eyes narrowed in suspicion as he nodded stiffly. "You know him?"

A gentle smile graced the dark-haired man's lips as he also nodded in response to Gilbert's inquiry. "He is a man of quite some importance to my companions and I." After that the man paused momentarily, watching them both thoughtfully. "Forgive me for assuming something like this so suddenly, but you seem very much like a young man Frederick has described to us on occasions. By any chance, would you be Gilbert Beilschmidt?"

Almost instantly Gilbert tensed. Sensing this, Ludwig's arm encircled his hips supportively. If this man was with Solace, and Frederick had spoken of him, then did they know of Gilbert's brief stint as a Handler? Ludwig glanced over at the Sauprisian, trying to gauge how to proceed. "That would be me! Ludwig and I are here to see Fritz, can you take us to him?"

"Of course. In fact that was my intention from the beginning. For the last few days we have been asked to keep an eye out for the two of you, Frederick has been anticipating your arrival." Before either man could take in this new information or respond, he simply held out a hand. His face never once lost its natural tranquility. "I am sorry. In my haste I forgot to properly introduce myself. I am Abilio Syun. Welcome to Vike."

* * *

><p>AN: I know, this chapter is REALLY short. But I didn't feel like putting much more in would add any benefit to the chapter as it stands well enough on its own two feet. It kept moved the plot on nicely and we get to see a bit of Ludwig starting to relax a bit into his new role as a lover, even if most of it seems to be coming from a more protective/possessive place. In my opinion anyway. Well who wouldn't get possessive if their man was one of these two? That's all I can say!

Abilio Syun is my name for Macau. I like to think of him as incredibly polite and quite a warm, gentle man. At least in the way he acts. His first name is Portugese because I did a little bit of research a while back and discovered he used to be Portugese territory, but he still has a Chinese surname. No I can't remember what kind of Chinese it is, it was too long ago.

I have decided that my next works after Vollmonds will be set in the same universe and there are a few ideas floating around in my head just now for things. I have put up a poll to see what you would all prefer to see from this.

As always, thanks for reading, let me know what you thought! I promise the next ones will be longer, lenght-wise it's just how this one turned out. Until next time!


	23. Chapter 22

_**Chapter Twenty Two**_

Abilio hardly spoke as they made their way through the streets. At times he seemed to momentarily forget that the two men he was leading were struggling with the bustling crowds – but he always stopped long enough for them to catch up when he remembered. He would then smile apologetically and keep on going.

Occasionally Gilbert tried to ask Abilio questions about Frederick – only for him to smile even more and apologise. _"I have a feeling Frederick would rather answer your questions himself. So please have a little more patience for now. It won't be long before we reach his home."_ Eventually Gilbert gave up with a frustrated growl and Ludwig squeezed the hand holding his. Aside from a brief tightening of fingers and the lessening of tension in his shoulders, Gilbert showed no signs of having noticed. Still, Ludwig knew the gesture had been appreciated.

As the crowds started to thin, Abilio began speaking more. He pointed out the best places in town for tailoring, cobbling, smithing and anything else he felt would be useful to point out. "Unfortunately our Smith is getting on in his years, now. He will have to retire within the next couple of years, and there's nobody to take it up once he's gone. It's a shame, there are very few people who hold as much skill as Bertók, these days." Abilio shook his head remorsefully. This man had apparently been so absorbed in his craft for such long time he had never managed to start a family – and refused to name anyone else as successor, or even to teach them the trade.

Ludwig frowned at the story, glancing backwards at the bleak Smithy. Even from this distance, and with his disadvantage, he could see the skill and quality that this Bertók was putting into each and every product. He could see the way each piece of metal and tool was handled with a firm, disciplinary hand but also with an odd gentle fondness. Ludwig somewhat understood why Bertók had never settled down to start a family – everything in the Smithy was, in a way, a child of his.

He was jerked roughly from his musings when Gilbert tugged at his hand too harshly. "Keep up." the Sauprisian grunted through a tight jaw, not looking back at Ludwig. The tension was returning at a rapid rate, the tall blond could even feel it in the change of the grip around his hand.

When Abilio halted outside a fairly modest-looking building, he turned that same smile back to the two men he had been leading. Although it didn't affect Ludwig all that much, he saw the irriation it was beginning to cause in his partner. Was it too soon to call him that? Honestly he really didn't know anything anymore. "This is the place." Abilio stated, using a graceful arch of his arm to indicate the correct door. "And here is where we must part ways. I'm sure I will see you both again." with yet another fluid curl of his lips, Abilio bowed respectfully and wandered off.

Gilbert didn't seem to have noticed the other man leaving, his crimson irises locked on the door they had been led to. Up until this point he had been excited about seeing Frederick again. Now, as he stood in front of his former Guardian's door, Gilbert hesitated. The fingers around Ludwig's hand twitched and a few times his free hand moved to knock on the door, only to sharply retreat and prompt a deep intake of breath.

After watching this in silence for a while, Ludwig slipped his hand suddenly out of Gilbert's grasp. With the sudden loss of contact, the werewolf's gaze snapped around to face him. Without a word, Ludwig's hand settled on the other's shoulder. He didn't speak. To be honest, Ludwig wouldn't have known what to say even if he tried. Instead he just relaxed his face in a small smile and nodded. _No matter how this all goes, I'm going to be here. Just remember that._ Gilbert took another deep breath and nodded back, seemingly getting the message.

When the albino turned to face the door once more, Ludwig made to remove his hand only for Gilbert to grasp behind him and take hold of his forearm. "All right." and with no more prompting, Ludwig simply rested his hand on the small of Gilbert's back as he knocked on the door.

For the next moments hardly any noise was made. If he hadn't taken to making subtle massaging motions with his hand then Ludwig was sure Gilbert might have forgotten to breathe.

When the door opened it was slow and cautious. The man who stood behind the door didn't seem to notice Ludwig at first, his widened eyes fixated upon Gilbert who was having trouble looking at him. "Come on inside. I've just finished brewing some Eastern herbal tea, if you'd like some?"

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

After ushering them inside Fritz silently poured the sweet-smelling tea into three mugs and shared them out. All three men sat themselves around the small table in his kitchen. Reaching into his pocket, Fritz took out an opened envelope and handed it to West. "I take it you must be the Ludwig mentioned in this? I'm sorry for reading it, but when I caught sight of Gilbert's name I had to know what it said." he glanced over at Gilbert, who still wasn't looking at him. Opting instead to keep his head lowered shamefully.

"Thank you. I should probably read this so I can respond to Feliciano..." Ludwig said hesitantly, looking towards Gilbert to see if he had any protests to this proposition. He didn't. In fact Gilbert was almost relieved when Ludwig made his way through to another room. As much as he might have wanted Ludwig to stay, neither he nor Fritz would have been able to really talk. Until they did that, Gilbert didn't think he would be able to ask about Solace.

Minutes passed like hours, with neither man knowing how to even begin conversing. Gilbert carefully avoided Fritz's gaze while his former guardian simply watched him. "You've changed. I can't place what it is exactly, but you're different, my lad." Gilbert chuckled bitterly, finally raising his eyes to meet Frederick's with a nod.

He knew he had changed considerably after Fritz left. With everything that had happened it would have been almost impossible not to. "You're still exactly how I remember, though." The words coming from both men's lips were automatic and strained. Forcing themselves to recite generic reunion-appropriate lines, because that was far better than descending into another silence.

Gilbert couldn't take it. The awkward tension was worse than Fritz turning him away at the door. Of course he hadn't expected to be welcomed with open arms, or anything like that. This, however, was too unlike the Fritz he remembered. "I'm sorry!" he ground out. "I didn't mean anything I said back then, damn it! Shout and curse me out, if that's what you want to do! Just stop acting so unfamiliar with me!" He snapped his eyes up to meet Frederick's gaze, jaw tensing.

A warm, if hesitant, smile pt ulled at Frederick's lips. "Gilbert, my lad, that was over four year ago." Then the smile fell from his face. "But why have you suddenly turned up here, now? Four years of not responding to my letters - what made you come to me, after going so long ignoring my attempts to mend the bond we used to share?"

Gilbert's hands tightened. "I didn't know about any letters." the albino admitted. "Our house has been empty for four years, because I made a huge mistake...!" Frederick watched Gilbert, concern glinting in his warm eyes. Not knowing how to explain, he gingerly removed the tunic West had bought for him. His hand settled on a number of small circular puncture wounds on his shoulder, self-consciously. "_Die Narben von der Verwandlung heilen nie_."

Gilbert's voice was hoarse as he uttered the words in Sauprisian - he couldn't bring himself to use the language he'd spoken in for so many years now. This was far too personal. Frederick's eyes widened in realisaion and he moved a hand to rest over the one Gilbert held over the scars.

"_Mein Junge ... _Gilbert_. Es tut mir leid"_

* * *

><p>AN: Really quick note here because I'm at a friend's house. I just hope you enjoyed the chapter. Let me know what you thought! And remember the poll is still up on my page. Until next time!

**_Translations_**

_Die Narben von der Verwandlung heilen nie -_ The scars from the turning never heal.

_Mein Junge ... Es tut mir leid - _My boy ... I'm sorry.


	24. Chapter 23

_**Chapter Twenty Three**_

_Ludwig,_

_I am so glad to hear you're all right! Ever since I saw you and Gilbert get chased into the forest I've been so worried I haven't been able to take my siestas. I know you told me to run away – but I had to make sure I knew you hadn't been captured! Please don't be angry!_

Ludwig smiled fondly and shook his head. He couldn't be angry at Feliciano for something like that.

_Anyway, things have been strange here without you to keep me company and remind me of all those little things I keep forgetting. Oh! You'll be so proud of me, Ludwig! I haven't forgotten to wear my breeches since you left! I'll try and eat more than just pasta – but no promises. You know what I'm like without without my three a day!_

The tall blond snorted. Feliciano's 'three a day' just meant whatever three different shapes of pasta he decided to eat on that particular day_. _

_What's wrong? Is it something to do with Gilbert? I knew it … I knew I could see something there! I hope you manage to work it out, Ludwig, and I'm really happy for you. Just be careful … I know he's a good guy but remember he's dangerous. I know nothing happened last time because you were able to write to me; but who knows what might happen next time! I don't want to start nagging like Lovino – but I worry, Ludwig._

_Take care,_

_Feliciano._

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

About halfway through scribing his reply to Feliciano, Ludwig was interrupted by Gilbert coming through. There was a wide grin on his face. The grin was a little bit strained, but mostly seemed genuine. He didn't get a chance to speak before the albino was in front of him, crashing their lips together for a deep kiss.

When they pulled apart, Gilbert's grin returned – his sharp incisors showing easily. "Leave that for later, West. Fritz is gonna take us to Solace's headquarters."

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

Compared to earlier, neither Ludwig or Gilbert could really comprehend just how quiet Vike was now. There was room to walk, no one was yelling at the top of their voice to attract attention. In fact, as far as they could make out, Frederick was the only one outside with them. It was utterly amazing how different things were just in the space of a couple of hours.

As they walked, Frederick would talk every so often – telling them about Solace. Hardly any of the men and women in the organisation were actually from Vike itself. People come from all over the world for the safe haven provided to them by Solace. Everyone hailed from different walks of life, making the journey to Kieraun for reasons of endless variety.

For the most part, Ludwig consciously made the effort to walk a little bit behind the other two. The reunion itself had gone better than Gilbert thought and Ludwig didn't want to get in the way of that right now. Frederick had been a huge part of Gilbert's life for a long time - it wasn't Ludwig's place to deny them the chance to rekindle that.

The building Frederick led them to was long and unimpressive. Clearly spacious, but cold and hardly the ost inviting of sights. Grey, cracked walls and a completely flat roof. "I know it doesn't look like much, but this is home to many of the people who seek us out for shelter. We make sure they're taken care of but this is the only accomodation we can offer aside from our own homes - most of which cannot house more than two or three individuals."

Frederick looked back at Ludwig with a smile as he knocked on the door. "Don't worry, you'll both be more than welcome in here."

Just a moment later the door swung backwards to reveal two men. A bulky, dreadlocked one with a dark tan and a leaner blond with a seemingly quiet demeanor. "These the boys you were expecting?" the gruff voice of the darker-skinned male asked. After a nod from Frederick the men moved aside to let them in.

"Is miss Braginskaya here this evening?"

"She's supervising the kitchen in the back. Shouldn't be long before she comes back through to check on everyone, though."

"Thanks, Matthew." Frederick smiled and briefly touched Matthew's shoulder in gratitude before turning back to Ludwig and Gilbert. "Carlos and Matthew will take you to the meeting room. I'll be there soon with my colleagues to introduce you. Gilbert, you mentioned that it was Abilio who helped you find me? Although he won't be joining us tonight, he's actually very important to us here. In the end the decision is ultimately going to fall onto his shoulders."

With that Frederick made hs way to the kitchen Matthew had mentioned a moment before. The young blond smiled at Ludwig and Gilbert, motioning for them both to follow him. Carlos stuck close to them, ignoring the newcomers and instead just making light conversation with Matthew until they all sat down in the room. Compared to the open space of the previous room it was pretty small, then again it probably didn't need much more space than this considering the purpose.

"So what brought you two here, then? Relbin is quite a journey away." Ludwig glanced at Gilbert, really it was the albino's story to tell. Ludwig just happened to be added into it by association.

Gilbert smirked and clamped a hand down onto Ludwig's shoulder. "West, here, broke me free from the wall. I'd heard about Solace from Fritz before I got turned, so we came here."

Before either Carlos or Matthew could respond the door opened to reveal a short-haired woman, carrying a large steaming pot. "Matvey? Could you get the bowls from Emrys?"she asked, arms trembling as she made her way over to the table. Ludwig made to stand up and help, only to relax back into his seat when Carlos took the pot and set it down for her.

The darkly tanned man shook his head in disbelief. "You need to start asking someone else to carry those damn things, Kat!" he reprimanded. "Your back's bad enough as it is, without you hurting it even more!" 'Kat' rubbed at her forearm and looked away apologetically.

"I'm sorry... but everyone is working so hard already, and I didn't want to be a bother to them."

Carlos just shook his head and sat back down – clearly used to having this argument and knowing he wasn't going to get anywhere with it. "Whatever." He took a sniff of the contents of the pot and grimaced. "Leek soup again ... is he_ trying_ to turn us all into rabbits? Anyway, these are the boys Fred was talking about. Arrived here from Relbin just recently." he waved a hand vaguely in their direction, and her eyes finally landed on them.

Now that Ludwig could see her without a great big pot in the way he froze. 'Kat's blue eyes widened and began to water as she held a hand to her mouth. "Little Ludwig!" Without any warning she had her hands on the young man's face as she studied him closely. "It is so good to see you again! You have grown so big and strong. You were so small and chubby when I last saw you, and now here you are! Grown into such a handsome young man."

Ludwig's face darkened into an embarassing shade of red as he awkwardly patted at her shoulder. "It's good to see you as well, Katyusha..." he gulped, she didn't seem to notice that she was crushing his face into her ample bosom when she drew him into a tight embrace.

Gilbert's hands clenched as he watched the scene before him. Clearly unhappy about the way Katyusha was seemingly man-handling Ludwig. Luckily for her, a soft chuckle from the door as Matthew returned with the bowls and a couple of other men. A dark-haired man in his mid-twenties who leaned on a knobbly stick to keep the weight off one of his legs, and a lanky red-head. "You might want to let him go, Kat, it looks like he's having trouble breathing." Matthew commented as he began setting out the bowls on the table. "Go ahead and sit down. Everyone else will be here soon and we can start the meeting."

* * *

><p>AN: Chapter is way too short for the wait you guys have had! Not only did the last half of this chapter not want to be written but college has really slowed me down when it comes to this. I get a week's worth of holiday starting on Friday so I'll try and catch up during that time off. Also, MidnightWriters, that's when I'll try and get your one-shot done. I have the details and everything sorted out, I just need to finish writing it.

For the new characters, we have Cuba and Canada, Ukraine, Orkney, Northern Ireland and we got a brief mention of Wales (Emrys). We'll meet the rest of Solace next chapter.

Last of all, I've decided to keep the poll about my next fic up until the end of this one; so there's plenty of time to place a vote!

Hopefully the next chapter won't take too long to post. Thanks for sticking with me for so long, I love you guys for it! As usual let me know what you think, especially if you can think of anything to help me improve!


	25. Chapter 24

_**Chapter Twenty Four**_

Apart from Ludwig and Gilbert, twelve others were situated around the table; tucking into the leek soup with gusto. Even if a few of the men made half-heartedly scathing comments about it to a sandy-haired man who simply put a stop to it with a short, biting threat. "I you've got a problem with my cooking then maybe I'd better leave you all to fend for yourselves." Emrys hadn't even needed to raise his voice before the others sheepishly went back to eating the food provided.

Frederick had said the introductions along with the meeting itself would wait until everyone had eaten. For a lot of people it had been a long day so he wanted to give them some time to just relax and unwind.

"All right. Now that we've all had our fill, I would like to introduce my son and his companion." Frederick announced, standing behind the two men, settling a hand on each of their shoulders. "Gilbert and Ludwig. Boys, welcome to Solace! You've already met Katyusha, Matthew and Carlos, now would everyone else introduce themselves?"

The dark-haired limper grinned good-naturedly and made to stand up so he could shake their hands; only for the lanky red-head to sit him back down when he shook dangerously on his bad leg. After an apology he revealed that his name was Thorfinn and he was from an island in the North called Nykore. His friend was a Renidali called Cahir. The chef simply shrugged and said his name was Emrys, letting things move on quickly.

Next were three women. A tall Southerner with hair about the length of a thumbnail and a very distinctive accent called Mafuane – she had smiled warmly and leaned over to shake hands with Gilbert and Ludwig. Esi was quiet and mysterious – her eyes alarmingly similar to Gupta's. However she seemed calm and reasonable enough. Next to her was Gaia, undoubtedly one of the most attractive women either man had ever laid eyes on. Although she had lived Vike for most of her life she revealed her family origins actually lay in Egerec.

Then was Eduard, a short-sighted blond from Asteion. While he didn't say much and he didn't let the smile falter, it never reached his eyes. In fact Eduard kept looking at the newcomers as if something was weighing heavily on his mind. Last of all was an incredibly tall man with a face that barely moved. Ludwig thought he looked familiar, as if he might have seen him around Relbin, but all he said was that his name was Berwald.

Once that was done Frederick nudged Gilbert, silently urging him to stand up and address everyone at the table. With a quick sideways glance at Ludwig, who nodded encouragingly, Gilbert rose to his feet; drawing everyone's attention to him. He took a deep breath and squared off his shoulders, putting on the confident facade he was so used to faking. "As you know, West and I just got here from Relbin. Four years ago I was a Handler, and not long after I completed my training I was turned by my charge." Sub-consciously one of Gilbert's hands settled on his tunic, just where his scars were. Noticing this Ludwig subtly moved a hand beneath the table to settle on the Sauprisian's calf, making tiny soothing motions with his thumb.

Berwald was watching Gilbert intently after the mention of Handlers. "I'm sure you will all have heard the stories so I won't go into what it was like being Chained to the Wall. With the help of Ludwig I escaped. We came here to ask you, people of Solace, for help with something no one has ever attempted before." Gilbert smirked deviously, eyes shining with anticipation. "If you're willing, I'd like your aid in freeing the others from the Wall. Alone West and I wouldn't have had a chance. With Solace's help we can free them. What do you say?"

Gilbert and Ludwig watched as everyone at the table started murmuring lowly to one another, discussing whether they should go along with Gilbert's proposition or not. Berwald cleared his throat. "I 'sked f'r th' s'me th'ng wh'n I g't h're." His Neswedish accent was thick and obvious, forcing people to listen closely to make sure they understood what he was saying. "S' ev'n if 'm th' 'nly one. 'M w'th ya. M'wife's Ch'ned ta th' w'll."

With a broad grin, Gilbert clapped a hand onto Berwald's shoulder. "Awesome, good to have you on board! What about the rest of you?" he prompted.

"Emrys and myself would be more than happy to help you out." Cahir smirked. "We've got family in Relbin we haven't seen in years. Haven't seen them since my sister got Chained." Emrys simply nodded, not looking particularly interested in the discussion.

Mafuane frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't like it. I know, if all of us pull together we could overpower the Handlers ... but I don't think this is the kind of thing we can risk. These people came to us for protection and a safe haven. We should think very carefully before we drag them out of this safety and into such a life-threatening situation. Even with an advantage on our side there _will_ be casualties. Even fatalities. As much as I want to help you I don't think this is something we can drag our wards into something so dangerous."

Carlos scoffed and rolled his eyes. "No one said everyone was going. We'll take only the volunteers; leave one of you mother hens here to look after the ones who can't or won't." Everyone's eyes suddenly snapped towards Thorfin whose hand had slammed into the table, his grey-blue eyes narrowed towards Carlos.

"That better not have been directed at me. You won't be leaving me behind because of an old riding accident! I can still fight just as well as any of you!" He had risen to his feet again, only to be forcibly dragged down by Cahir.

The green-eyed red-head scowled at Thorfin. "Calm down! We'll argue about those details later. For now work out whether we're going ahead with this or not."

Ludwig glanced over at Katyusha to see her biting her lip and wringing her hands together. She kept glancing at Thorfin as Cahir slowly succeeded in calming him down. "I would normally agree with Mafuane ... but my brother and sister are there. I know there is nothing I can do for my little Vanya ... but I need to go. In case I can still save Natalia..."

"Fine. I'll stay and 'mother-hen' everyone else that stays behind." Mafuane conceded. "I hope you know I don't approve of you going with your leg in the condition that it is, Thorfin. The same goes for your back, Katyusha. But it's not my place to stop you. Do as you like - I won't be needed for the rest of this meeting. Fill me in if anything comes up I might need to know." The Southerner nodded curtly to everyone and left the room without another word.

As soon as she was gone discussions continued with renewed vigor. Surprisingly a lot of the people in the room had their reasons for wanting to help Ludwig and Gilbert. The two men listened intently, Gilbert having sat back down with a relieved sigh that he wasn't the centre of attention anymore. Eduard's two cousins had headed to Relbin months before and he hadn't heard from them since; Matthew's brother had recently become a Handler and he wanted to make one last attempt to change his mind. Apparently Abilio had family in the area that he hadn't seen in years as well, so he would probably want to join in this campaign as well.

While neither Esi or Gaia seemed to have any connections to Relbin or the werewolves they were determined to come as well. According to Gaia they refused to sit back and allow such things to continue.

"All right, let me get this straight." Gilbert drew the attention back to himself. "When Berwald tried this last time you all did nothing. What's suddenly changed?" Ludwig nodded in agreement.

"It just doesn't make any sense." the taller man began. "Of course we're more than grateful for your help - but surely we haven't been able to sway you all so drastically in so little time." It was at this point Frederick, who had fallen quiet in order to allow everyone to keep up the discussions on their own, stood up again with a small smile.

"When Berwald came to us for help it was just after an epidemic. We didn't have anywhere near the man-power that would have been needed in order to help. And the people we did have were too weak to move, let alone march all the way to Relbin and challenge fully armed; dangerous individuals. By the time we got our numbers back up, it was only in the last few months. We had no idea if Berwald's partner would even still be alive."

"As things are now, it could still turn into a massacre." Cahir mused, a grin playing across his features. "Difference is that now on what side the massacre will be is more debatable!" he chuckled, moving to clap Gilbert and Ludwig on the shoulder. "Now, we can handle things from here, lads. You two just take the next couple of days to relax while we sort out who's coming; get us all armed and ready. Go ahead, Frederick and take them back to yours. Kat and I'll make sure things go smoothly here. Be sure and let Abilio know what's going on!"

* * *

><p>AN: Too much talking and I didn't enjoy writing this chapter! I know there hasn't been much in the way of Gilbert and Ludwig and how they're progressing with things in the last couple of chapters, but now that this one is out of the way things will get back on track with this. As it stands, this chapter was necessary to move the plot along so it had to be done.

So we have now seen all the actual characters in Solace - everyone else is essentially nameless cannon fodder. There are some OCs and some I've just given names to, as well as some more anagrams. The characters in Solace are as follows: Old Fritz, Katyusha Braginski (Ukraine), Matthew Williams (Canada), Carlos Machado (Cuba), Abilio Syun (Macau), Eduard Von Bock (Estonia), Berwald Oxenstierna (Sweden), Esi (Ancient Egypt), Gaia (Ancient Greece), Cahir Burke (Northern Ireland), Emrys Kerwyn (Wales), Mafuane (South Africa) and Thorfin Rendall (Orkney).

For anyone who doesn't remember, Alfred is a Handler back in Relbin and Arthur co-owns the Hare and Rose with Francis so they can't be members of Solace.

On another note I finally posted up the full smut from a few chapters back - it's called A Night at the Inn.

Right the author's note is way too long so I'll finish up by thanking you all for reading and asking you to let me know what you thought! Until next time lovelies!


	26. Chapter 25

_**Chapter Twenty Five**_

After arriving back at Frederick's home the grey-haired man had smiled tiredly at his temporary guests. "Make yourselves at home in the spare room, my boys. I'm afraid there is only one bed, but if that is a problem then feel free to make use of the living area as well. I'm afraid it's time for me to retire, I'm not anywhere near as young as I used to be." he told them with a warm laugh, giving them his spare blankets before he departed.

"I think we should probably do the same. We've had a long journey - and I don't know about you but I'm quite tired myself." Ludwig stated as he sat himself down on the bed, rolling his shoulder to work out a small kink that had developed.

Gilbert snorted slightly, sitting down next to him. "I guess you've got a point." he conceded. "I wasn't expecting today to be so difficult, but at least we've got Solace behind us now." Ludwig nodded and gingerly wrapped an arm around Gilbert's shoulder; he leaned in against Ludwig's side. "How do you know that woman, Katyusha?" the albino asked eventually, not moving to look up at the younger man.

There was a pause as Ludwig looked at him questioningly. "She would look after me for father while he was working in the Smithy. We lost my mother while I was still young and Katyusha offered to take care of me so things would be easier for him." A small nostalgic smile tugged at the Relbiner's lips. "Why? I've already told you, apart from yourself the only person I've been intimate with was Lili. You have no reason to worry - as attractive as she is, I can't see her in anything other than a maternal light."

"I never said I was jealous, West." Gilbert huffed, sending him a half-hearted glare. "Don't go reading things into what I'm saying!" the Sauprisian pulled away, facing the wall with his arms folded over his chest.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

In spite of Gilbert's slight mood the previous night the two men woke quite contentedly in each others' arms. In fact in an attempt to stave of his impending alertness the Sauprisian had grumbled in his native tongue and nuzzled further into Ludwig's neck while tightening his grip on the younger man's waist.

At first Ludwig had considered making Gilbert get off him and wake up, however with the couple of days they had been given to rest and recover he couldn't bring himself to disturb the older man. So instead he let himself relax back into the bed and gently rested his chin against Gilbert's head.

It had been far too long since he hadn't had a pressing reason to get up in the morning. Although he would never admit to it verbally, Ludwig was grateful for an excuse to just stay in bed with Gilbert. Holding the albino against him; just basking in the peaceful morning atmosphere. He really did appreciate the quiet calm. In fact it had to have been years since he had last experienced such relaxation.

"Hrnn." Gilbert groaned and shifted reluctantly before pulling away and sitting up for a stretch. "What the hell is with that stupid grin on your face, West?" he grumbled. "You'd better not be going sappy on me. I swear to the Matriarch if you start spewing poetry or whatever at me then I'm staying in that other room from now on."

"Shut up, Gilbert."

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

Frederick apparently needed to be at the base while things were being sorted at Solace. He had given the other two permission to use his home as they saw fit and recommended that they take some time to get used to the town. Apparently despite the busy market-streets Vike was an incredibly relaxing town to be in.

So after breakfast they took his advice.

"Well what did you think of them?" Gilbert inquired. "The people we met last night." he clarified when Ludwig just looked at him with confusion. "Definitely a mis-matched lot, in any case."

Ludwig just shrugged non-commitally with a slight grunt. "You mean like we are?" The Sauprisian raised a pale eyebrow at him. While sarcasm wasn't exactly a stranger to Ludwig it wasn't normally used to tease Gilbert. He deliberately slowed his pace and slid an arm around Ludwig's shoulders, forcing the blond down to his height with a wolfish smirk.

"Don't go getting cocky with _me_, West! It doesn't suit you!" Gilbert sniggered, raking his fingers through the younger man's hair in order to mess it out of the carefuly slicked-back style Ludwig had spent a whole twenty minutes that morning getting right. It took a lot of protesting and struggling before Ludwig managed to break free. He scowled heavily at Gilbert and immediately began trying to slick his hair back again, only for his wrists to get captured by the albino's long fingers. "Leave it. Suits you better this way." Gilbert crooned, swiping his tongue over Ludwig's lips.

He practically cackled at the dark blush that erupted onto the younger man's face as Ludwig pulled away with a grumble and a half-hearted swat to the back of Gilbert's head. "Sometimes I don't know how I put up with you." he sighed, shaking his head.

"That's too easy. It's because I'm awesome - therefore I make _you_ awesome by association." Gilbert boasted, smirking as if that should be the most obvious thing in the world. "Anyway answer my question: what do you think of them?"

Ludwig fell silent for a moment, choosing to ignore Gilbert's attempts at inflating his own ego for the sake of his sanity. "They're different, I'll give them that." he admitted. "But their hearts are in the right place, any more than that I can't really say having only met them once." Without either of them even needing to look at the other, they automatically sought out the nearest stone wall low enough to sit on.

For the longest time neither man spoke, simply enjoying sitting in the other's company while watching the civillians of Vike going about their daily business. With a tiny quirk of his lips Ludwig discreetly twined their pinky fingers together.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

For the next couple of days Ludwig and Gilbert didn't really do an awful lot. They would wake up contentedly in a mutual embrace, have breakfast with Frederick; then wander around the city, occasionally stopping for Ludwig to get some supplies ready for when they all set out once more. When the time came for evening meal they would eat at Solace's headquarters; becoming more aquainted with the men and women they would soon be travelling with. Gilbert and Matthew had immediately hit it off, while Ludwig preferred the quieter company of people like Emrys or Berwald.

Once that was over they would head back to Frederick's home and make themselves comfortable in their room, although Ludwig would get up once in a while to do a bit of cleaning or tidying up around the house. Whenever Gilbert teased him for it the tall blond would simply glare and state that it was only right that he did something to thank the man for letting them stay.

Those arguments never lasted long as Gilbert always somehow managed to coax him back into lying down with him on the bed. In spite of Ludwig's best efforts, Gilbert was always far more stubborn and convincing than was fair. So they would just lay together, talking every once in a while until they drifted off into sleep.

The night before they were due to leave, however was different. All that day the routine had been exactly the same, right up until Ludwig rose to his feet for the first time to try and tidy up a little. Before he had properly straightened up Gilbert's surprisingly strong hand found his wrist and dragged him back down onto the bed. "Not tonight, _Westen_." he growled slightly, pushing the blond so that he was flat on his back and nuzzling at the crook of his neck.

Ludwig sighed, lazily threading his fingers through Gilbert's hair. "And why not?" he murmured, taking no notice of the warmth in his cheeks. Would he ever get used to the closeness or the affectionate gestures? Honestly Ludwig had absolutely no idea.

"We leave first time tomorrow, it's possible that at least one of us won't survive this." Gilbert whispered, refusing to meet Ludwig's eyes as he started lightly kissing at the blond's shoulder and neck. "Once we're on the road there might not be another chance before we get to Relbin." He drew in a long shuddering breath and pulled up, moving to hover right above Ludwig's face before gently pressing their foreheads together. "I want to have you just once more before we leave." he murmured, crimson irises dull and pleading.

Ludwig didn't say anything, even as he tried to get his brain to put together some kind of response all he could muster was a blank canvas. So instead of making a fool out of himself he closed his eyes with a heavy sigh and shifted his face to catch Gilbert's mouth in a slow kiss.

Neither had wanted to face the truth of the situation until now. Over the last few days it had been harshly chained in the backs of their minds; ruthlessly locked away, out of sight. Now, as their lips moved together and their bodies pressed closer in an attempt to relay everything they felt without the words to aid them, it loomed morbidly over them.

Tomorrow they would leave the sanctuary that had Vike had become. They would be on the road back to Relbin for the sake of people neither of them really knew.

If anyone had asked him later then Ludwig would have fiercely denied that, when Gilbert's mouth encompassed his length, a few tears rolled treacherously down his cheeks. This could be the last time they ever got to enjoy such intimacy together; despite all the differences between them, tonight their minds were completely in synch. Neither was willing to let dawn come without taking advantage of what may just be their last chance.

"_Ich liebe dich, Ludwig..._"

* * *

><p>AN: Happy, light-hearted chapter has a sad ending. It made me whimper to write it! I hate to have to say this but there isn't much longer left for this story - I'm not entirely sure exactly how many chapters but we are coming up to the conclusion of it all.

I shouldn't really have to translate that last little bit there, but it's Gilbert saying 'I love you' in the one way Ludwig won't be able to understand. It might sound mean to do that but he has his reasons.

Also just a couple of points I forgot to mention in my last few author's notes: The old blacksmith that Abilio mentions is my name for Magyar Hun, Hungary's ancestor. Two chapters ago, when Kat and Ludwig are reunited she mentions that Ludwig used to be chubby - that happens to be one of my favourite AU headcanons, that Ludwig used to be the fat kid before he hit puberty and then he became the hunk we all know and love today. And someone asked me in a review that I couldn't respond to if there were any other creatures in this world besides werewolves. There are, but on this particular continent they are very scarce. Aside from Unicorns, there are also quite a few of them around but they're just shy. They're also the reason that Thorfin has a dodgy leg.

Anyway that's me finished for now as I have to get up and ready for college. Please leave me some feedback to let me know how I'm doing. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!


	27. Chapter 26

**_Chapter Twenty Six_**

At the crack of dawn everyone gathered just outside the town. Frederick took hold of Gilbert's shoulder and led him towards the front. "This is your excursion to lead, my boy. These people are here to follow you in your cause. Don't worry, and just remember they all chose to be here." Ludwig followed them closely, only for Frederick to motion for him to stay back as he moved Gilbert to stand facing the group. He kept as close as he could to keep an eye on the Sauprisian who kept glancing at him nervously.

He watched as Frederick gently nudged Gilbert forward, keeping his hand reassuringly on his son-figure's shoulder as he cleared his throat. Immediately silence fell and hordes of eyes fixed upon Gilbert who glanced again at Ludwig who nodded and gave an encouraging quirk of his lips.

"Right! From today onwards you are no longer civillians - until this is over you are all soldiers! We _will_ succeed; no matter what happens this venture will not fail!" At first Gilbert's voice wavered, but as he went on it grew in volume and conviction. By the end of it a roar of cheers and the clanking of weapons echoed through the calm morning air. Ludwig recognised many of the voices nearby as they whooped and hollered. It was a rousing sight, and Ludwig was positive he could feel the adrenaline building up around him, infectiously making his own blood boil with excitement.

The tall blond couldn't help but smile as he watched Gilbert's confidence grow, culminating in his trademark toothy smirk. The Sauprisian howled with laughter and raised his sword into the air - an action copied by everyone gathered, including Ludwig himself. "Let's get going!"

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

With such a large group they were able to journey along the roads without fear of being attacked by Slavers or bandits. This meant a quicker arrival at their destination Ludwig and Gilbert were relieved to find out it also meant they wouldn't have to trudge through the forest this time around.

According to Eduard it should only take them just under two weeks before they made camp slightly out of sight from the city. Here they would prepare to make their move.

For now all they had to do was focus on covering as much ground each day as humanly possible and making sure everyone made it in one piece. At first Gilbert had been an incredibly hard taskmaster - getting everyone moving from the first light of morning until the last dregs of light were about to disappear below the horizon. However Gilbert had much more stamina and strength than anyone else. The pace he set was far too brisk and some people couldn't keep up with it.

On more than one occasion the troupe had been forced to stop and shift some of the packs around so that somebody could carry Thorfin. His limp made it difficult to keep up normally, but with the pace Gilbert was enforcing upon them all his muscles were seizing up and when he wasn't falling behind he was stumbling and in pain with all the effort he was putting into trying to keep up.

Eventually Ludwig decided enough was enough and marched his way to the front. He roughly took hold of Gilbert's forearm and forced him into a halt. "We need to take a break, Gilbert." he whispered harshly into the Sauprisian's ear. Gilbert snarled and glared at him slightly.

"We don't have _time _to rest! Every second we're travelling is another broken bone; another denied meal; another potential death! We need to keep going!" Ludwig's grip on him tightened and he yelled a command at everyone to stop and rest for a while. As they all settled down Ludwig dragged Gilbert away from the main group so that they could have a private word. Once they were out of ear-shot he rounded on the albino with a stern expression on his face.

"You need to slow down! I know this is important to you but you have to remember that the rest of us are only human! You're naturally stronger and faster, now, than we are. Not only is everyone having difficulty keeping up, but we're needing to tire some people out even more because they have to carry others! Thorfin has difficulty enough walking as it is, with that limp! Let alone when he's trying to keep up with you!"

Gilbert's eyes narrowed and he tensed his jaw. "He should've stayed back in Vike then! If he's having such trouble with that damned leg then he shouldn't have come with us! Same goes for anyone else who's holding us back." he snapped.

"Gilbert!" Ludwig hissed, dark blue eyes flaring dangerously. "Listen to yourself, for just one second! You need to calm down for one second, because if you don't all you're going to do is lead us all into a slaughter! I agreed to come with you on this; to help convince Solace to help you. But I refuse to do so when you're blinding yourself to their well-being!" With a sigh a strong hand settled on the back of Gilbert's neck. "Just listen to me. I understand what's going through your head - I'm just as anxious as you are! But you can't let yourself become so single-minded. We're doing this to save those people ... but not at the expense of everyone who's helping us. Understand?"

In the middle of Ludwig's talk Gilbert's eyes had strayed to the ground, although sub-consciously one hand had settled on the blond's strong forearm. He took deep breaths through his nose, exhaling heavily through his mouth. "You're right, I know. I just have to save as many of them as I can, _Westen._"

The taller man simply nodded and drew him in close. "And we will, Gilbert. Just be a little more patient - as long as we all arrive there alive and whole ... we'll be in a far better position to help them. Remember that, okay?"

* * *

><p>AN: This took forever, I know. Especially for such a short chapter, but I have been so busy with college work and I had trouble actually getting this chapter written. Again I apologise, but here's the chapter at long last! Hopefully I'll get the next one done by the end of the week so keep your eyes peeled for it! I hope you enjoyed the chapter - and please let me know what you thought!

Until next time, lovelies!


	28. Chapter 27

_**Chapter Twenty Seven**_

Although it frustrated him greatly to do so, Gilbert took Ludwig's words to heart. When the group moved off again it was the slowest ones who set the pace for everyone else. Occasionally Gilbert would be allowed to speed things up, but never for long before Ludwig would slow him down again – reminding him not to leave anyone behind.

With the far more reasonable pace they were allowed to move in, the moods and spirits of their companions rose. They laughed, teased and bantered as they marched. With this rise in spirit the atmosphere, too, began to grow less heavy. Before it had only been Ludwig who dared approach Gilbert in his aggrevated state. Now Matthew and a few others openly conversed with the albino, effectively helping to calm him down.

Gilbert was still anxious, almost obsessed by an inherent need to reach Relbin as fast as humanly possible. However, with the distraction and laughter that he was being provided with, he relaxed. Even if it was only slightly.

More often than not, when he was in conversation with one of the others, mainly Katyusha, Ludwig would glance over at Gilbert and find himself smiling at the gradual return of the man he knew. He hadn't liked the new side of Gilbert. It had left Ludwig frustrated and even a little scared. Somewhere inside he had always known that the Sauprisian could be formidable in the right circumstances – however to see it come out so suddenly and with such a ruthless edge had really taken the younger man by surprise. Until now Ludwig hadn't been able to picture Gilbert being a Handler – he had been too laid back and playful. Now it was all too easy to imagine him in full armour, beating a malnourished pre-transformation werewolf.

The image disconcerted Ludwig. He had to force himself to remember that Gilbert was different now; that the Turning had changed him for the better. The Gilbert he knew was no longer that man. At night, when everyone settled down to sleep, and he would settle by the werewolf's side, it was so much easier to remember this.

Gilbert would nuzzle his face againt Ludwig's shoulder and growl contentedly as the larger man absently threaded his thick fingers through the pale hair. This was Gilbert – affectionate and playfully teasing; cocky and loud-mouthed; loyal and stubborn. Occasionally quick to lose his temper and easily frustrated, but never cold. Never cruel.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

Around three days past Aghburm, Ludwig and Gilbert were waved over by Thorfin and, Emrys Cahir to sit with them as they ate. While Gilbert took a space beside Matthew, Ludwig automatically sat between him and the far calmer man from Lewas.

"It won't be long now, if I remember right." Cahir commented. "Just a few more days, right?" he looked over at Gilbert for confirmation, grinning when he got the nod he was looking for.

"If we take the roads, anyway. Which we will – can't afford to lose anyone in the forest. It's too easy to get lost in there; with the length of time we'd spend in there, we'd risk being picked off by at least one werewolf pack." Gilbert informed them. He hadn't mentioned to Ludwig that there may have been other werewolves prowling around that night as it would just have worried the blond far more than would be necessary. He had definitely caught the scents of more than the four who attacked them, though.

Thorfin nodded slightly in agreement with the statement. "Besides, the quicker we do this the better. Right?" he offered with a chuckle. "Just think! In a few days we'll be there! It's an exciting thought, isn't it?"

"You seem very determined to make it through this." Ludwig commented, watching him curiously. "You're risking a lot, with your leg the way it is, by coming along with us. Why is that?" Thorfin simply chuckled again and flashed a slightly strained grin towards the Relbiner.

Sub-consciously his hand settled on the bad leg which he kept straightened out to avoid any extra strain on the limb. "His name's Holger. He was my best friend for a long time, and then my lover. He was a trader in metals and often travelled to Relbin to trade. Last time he never came back. I've heard some people talking in Vike who apparently saw him Chained to the wall. If he really is there, and not dead already, then I'm getting him back. I might not be in the best condition – but I refuse to stay behind when I have a chance to get him back."

Gilbert bit at his lower lip slightly as Kat came round with their rations for the evening. Not all that long ago he had been cursing the Nykorean for slowing them down. Seemingly knowing what was going through his mind, Ludwig rested a hand comfortingly on his knee. The action had an instant calming effect on the Sauprisian, though he still felt terrible.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

For the last few days the pace picked up once again. Not enough to make it difficult, but with how close they now were to Relbin everyone's adrenaline levels were beginning to rise. Chattering became more strained and tensions rose along with all the adrenaline. Carlos had to break up more than a couple of small fights before they truly kicked off as a result of it all.

As the sun set over the last day of travelling things seemed to calm down with the cooling air. Gilbert stood with Ludwig as their companions all began settling down. The Sauprisian wanted to address them all one last time before the next morning. Glancing behind him, Gilbert's shoulders tensed with the distant sight of the city. Ludwig leaned in, subtly rubbing the base of the older man's neck at the spine. "We'll do it together. All right?" he murmured, receiving a stiff nod in response.

"Listen up!" Gilbert barked out, effectively silencing all chat as numerous pairs of eyes snapped over to him. "We move out just before dawn. That way we'll catch the Handlers half asleep! The timing is crucial here, because in two days is the next full moon - the werewolves will be at their peak physically, without losing their control. Once they realise what we're doing they'll be in the best place to help us in their escape. Keep out of their way once they're free, especially since most will immediately launch at the nearest Handler so be careful! We'll split up into two groups at first. Half of you will come with me towards the Northern Gate, while the rest of you will follow Ludwig to the South. Make sure to rest as much as you can tonight, because tomorrow all Hell's gonna break loose!"

Much like outside Vike a chorus of cheers rose up, accentuated by whoops of excitement. Ludwig watched as the devillish smirk spread over Gilbert's face and he whooped along with the others, throwing his fist into the air.

While the others descended into excited chatterings, Ludwig snuck a little bit away from the crowd with Gilbert where he pulled the albino into a close embrace. Automatically Gilbert's arms ancircled the other man's waist, burying his face into Ludwig's shoulder. "You should have been a militia commander."

Gilbert's hissing snigger made the leaner form tremble slightly. "I considered it when I was younger. Maybe when all this is over, _ja_?" Ludwig nodded with a soft chuckle, sub-consciously tightening his hold on the other man. It was too soon. The days of travel to get here had flown by far too quickly and it seemed like so many days had just disappeared into thin air without a trace. Ludwig didn't want to have to split off so soon...

"What did I tell you about worrying so much, West?" Gilbert scolded with a half chuckle, playfully slapping the younger man's arm. "Stop doing it or you'll stress yourself into an early grave." he added jokingly, only for Ludwig to frown deeply. _It's not my grave I'm worried about._

"Just be careful out there tomorrow, Gilbert." he murmured almost inaudibly. Gilbert sighed and shifted so that he could press their foreheads together, simultaneously caressing the back of Ludwig's neck.

"Only if you promise to do the same. We'll see each other after all this is over. Agreed?" Ludwig smiled sadly with a minute nod, closing his useless eye to allow Gilbert to tenderly lick the scar. "Good, now let's get back before everyone starts wondering where we've gone.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

Just as Gilbert said, everyone was awake and armed just before the first rays of sunshine properly graced the land around them. No one spoke as they waited for the word. Gilbert and Ludwig stood in front of them, staring at the city they had both once called home. After sharing a meaningful glance with the man next to him, Gilbert slowly raised the sword in his hand. "_Marsch!_"

Without any other incentive hundreds of feet set off down the hill, splitting off into two groups - one following Gilbert while the other moved off with Ludwig leading the way.

Startled out of their sleep, howls of surprise tore their way out of the throats of those Chained to the walls. Within seconds metal began clanging against more metal and stone; confused yells, howls and yelps echoed around them. Ludwig ignored everything else and concentrated on swinging his axe against the Chain attached to a trembling young brown-haired man with terrified green eyes. "Wh-what do you think you're doing?" he yelped, flinching with every clang the axe made.

"Getting you out of here!" Ludwig snapped. "Now help me break the chain!"

* * *

><p>AN: Ok not quite as long as I thought it would be, but we're getting into the real action now! I didn't want to skim over the travelling entirely, but I also didn't want to get caught up in it so hopefully I managed to keep things moving. I really did enjoy this chapter actually. Also if anyone's wondering where Fritz disappeared to, he's a bit to old to be taking part in something like this so he stayed behind after seeing everybody else off.

I won't keep you any longer, except to say I hope you enjoyed it and ask that you let me know what you thought.

Thanks for reading!

_**Translation**_

_Marsch** - **_Forward/March


	29. Chapter 28

_**Chapter Twenty Eight**_

Spurred into action by the urgency in Ludwig's voice, the trembling man rushed forward, grabbing his collar to stop himself from choking as he pulled the chain taut. Even more clattering echoed off the walls as all around them more weapons were hacking away at the chains.

"A-are they all with you?" he panted with the sheer effort, dull green eyes glancing upwards to Ludwig's determined face. The Relbiner nodded stiffly, grunting heavily as he swung one final time at the chain. The werewolf put his full weight into another pull, stumbling to the ground when the metal suddenly snapped. His high-pitched yelp made Ludwig flinch before helping him up. "Th-thank you … who are you?"

Ludwig just shook his head sharply. "No time, just help us break all these chains." Although clearly taken aback, the lean man nodded and ran towards his nearest neighbour. The dark-haired, almost feminine, man was snarling and lunging at Carlos – attempting to sink his teeth into the Baucan's arm.

"Longlimb! What is going on here?" he growled when the man Ludwig freed pounced and restrained him. Dark eyes narrowed distrustfully as he watched Ludwig rush past them and snapped his teeth at Carlos once more. 'Longlimb' bit his lip and shook his head apologetically and slowly began to release the Ichani.

"I don't know, Darkpelt." he admitted, failing to hide a flinch at the sound of two blades hacking at another chain. "But they're breaking the chains. I don't know about you but I'm going to help them! Maybe we can get away before the Handlers come, yes?" Carlos groaned impatiently as 'Darkpelt' seemed to hesitate.

"Hurry up and make a decision!" he snapped. "Even if you don't want freed then just tell me so I can help those who do!"

~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~

On the Northern side, Gilbert's team had already attracted the Handlers attention. The werewolves had been very loud in their surprised howls. Inwardly he cursed as he shoved past two trainees. With a heavy grunt he drew his sword and slammed the pommel into another man's helm, not even glancing back as he crumpled to the ground.

Vaguely he wondered how West and his team were doing, but quickly shook his head to get rid of those thoughts. He had reasons for wanting to take the North rather than the South, and he needed to focus on them. As concerned as Gilbert was for Ludwig's well-being, he just had to trust in the younger man's ability to look after himself. Dark red eyes narrowed as he weaved through the hordes – he was looking for two people in particular whom he knew to be chained to the Northern Wall. These two were his priority for now – the others could be handled by his companions.

A familiar, distressed howl reached his ears and Gilbert skidded to a halt. It only took a second for him to catch sight of the ashen hair and smaller frame he had been looking for. He was being restrained by a Handler as another knocked a lad from Solace unconscious. Gilbert snarled and rammed into the man standing over his companion. Taking full advantage of the confusion he grabbed the other man's helm and slammed it into the wall. There was a dull thud behind him as an arrow embedded itself into the first Handler, who now lay motionlessly on the ground.

"You all right, Brighteye?" he asked carefully as the eyes which were too pretty and wide to be on a man's face gazed up at him in shock.

Slowly a bright grin spread across Brighteye's features and he gripped the Sauprisian's shoulder. "Better than I have been in a long time! I have to say … I never expected to see you again. Not after..." Gilbert halted him, holding up a hand and tightening the grip on his sword with the other.

"No time for that now. I'm back, we're breaking you all free, so help me snap this chain. Got it?" Gilbert's tone was sharp and he refused to meet the smaller man fully in the eyes. He hadn't thought it would be so difficult coming face-to-face with this one again. A sudden flame sparked behind the other werewolf's irises and his grin turned more feral and determined. It was a grin that sent an involuntary chill down the Sauprisian's spine. He removed the hand from Gilbert's shoulder and howled with excitement, moving until the chain was taut.

"From the day you were assigned to me, I knew you were going to do something great, Bloodgaze!" he exclaimed excitedly, gripping his collar so as not to choke. "I'll help you with the others once we break my chain!"

~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~

It never ceased to amaze Ludwig just how swiftly things could descend into absolute chaos. His group had managed to break a good number of the chains before a blood-curdling howl came from 'Darkpelt' as the first of the Handlers made their appearance, pinning the Ichani to the ground and slamming the butt of his spear into the ground. He looked young, far too young. But the cold glare which he sent Ludwig's way was too harsh and dangerous to dispute.

Within seconds of that happening Ludwig and his companions were assaulted on all sides by men in heavy armour.

The ones whose charges had yet to be released took place near the werewolves. A few took the extra precaution of taking out a dagger, forcing their charge to the ground and forcing the dagger through a link near their head into the ground. Burying the blade almost to the hilt, making it practically impossible for the werewolves to free themselves.

While the members of Solace did their best at fighting off the Handlers, the freed werewolves had more difficulty. They may have been stronger and faster, but the long weapons they faced made it hard to get into range of their opponents so they could properly fight them.

Ludwig himself had already been cut several times from his blind-side. As such he had been forced to fall back until he ran into Berwald who could watch his back and still fight his own opponents. The man's determination and sheer skill on the battlefield made him formidable as he cut down Handlers left and right – roaring with fearsome intensity with each swing of his bladed staff.

The Relbiner was glad to have him on his side as Berwald hacked off the arm of a man who was ready to lunge at Ludwig's blind-side. Ludwig was far from useless, though. He swung his axe deftly, keeping most attackers at bay – occasionally catching someone on the shoulder or arm if they got too close. Just after he succeeded in slashing the chest of a young Handler with messy black hair and fierce hazel coloured eyes, Ludwig felt Berwald's shoulder bump him. "D'n't wear y'rself out. L'ts m're w'll come." he warned gruffly, to which Ludwig nodded in acknowledgement. He would try and take that advice on-board but it could end up being difficult.

"The ox is correct." Ludwig instinctively tensed, eyes widening as Gilbert's former Handler strode calmly into view. He was dragging Longlimb roughly by his hair, wearing a wide smile as beneath his other arm Katyusha walked. The woman was trembling, biting her lower lip to the point of bleeding. "You should be saving your strength for me, yes?"

Harsh purple eyes narrowed as Ivan's smile widened even further. "I was kind in letting you leave with my _Sobaka_, wasn't I? It is insulting that you now try to steal my _Yagnenok_ from me as well. Not to mention … you attempt to use my beloved Katya against me?" With a heavy sigh and a shake of his head Ivan tightened his grip on his sister's shoulders, making her flinch visibly. "I would have let you leave with your life intact … but to use my sister in such a way? For that I'll make you pay, it is only fair."

Ivan chuckled and threw his captives off to the side. He strode over to Ludwig, easily blocking the axe with his metal pipe. He calmly lifted Ludwig's chin with the pipe and leaned down until their faces were bare milimetres apart. "But do not worry mal'chik. Your _lyubovnik_ will not be long in following you to Teybor's side."

* * *

><p>AN: Okay, while I'll try and make them as long as I can, it's looking likely that the action-packed chapters may be kept fairly short, so that not too much is happening at once you know? Anyway I apologise for putting two sort-of-cliffhangers in a row, but if I didn't then this chapter would have ended up far too long and it would have taken forever to finish.

Anyway, I'm happy with how this one turned out. Hope you guys enjoyed it! And please let me know what you thought because I don't know how to take the relative silence from the last couple of chapters. I can't tell if it's a comfortable silence or a disappointed one. If it was out of disappointment then I'd be even more grateful if you could let me know what I could have done better!

Thanks for reading and I hope to get the next chapter out fairly soon as well!

_**Werewolves and Handlers so far**_

Tir Longlimb (Toris Laurinaitis, Lithuania)

Gan Darkpelt (Yao Wang, China)

Von Brighteye (Tino Väinämöinen, Finland)

Leon Wong (Hong Kong), China's Handler

Nikola Balakov (Bulgaria), the one Ludwig slashed across the chest.

_**Translations**_

_Sobaka –_ dog/puppy

_Yagnenok –_ little lamb

_lyubovnik –_ lover


	30. Chapter 29

_**Chapter Twenty Nine**_

The breaking of his chain seemed to have reignited an old flame within Brighteye. A flame so old not even Gilbert had been aware existed. It didn't take long for them to fall into an efficient routine to free the other werewolves. The ashen blond would take a moment to assure whoever it was that they intended to help. Once that was done he would leap into action with a dagger he'd received from Gilbert – keeping any Handlers at bay while the Sauprisian hacked away at the offensive lengths of metal.

Caught up in the sheer thrill of freedom, ecstatic howls echoed through the air as the werewolves either raced and pounced upon the nearest Handlers without a moments hesitation; threw themselves into the task of helping break their fellows' chains; or taking off into the distance - refusing to do anything to risk their new-found freedom.

Gilbert no longer had any idea how long it had been since he had liberated Brighteye or of how many chains he had broken. All he knew was that the sun had risen high enough to completely dispell the previous night. The cries and clangs; howls and yelps rang persistently in his ears only to be deafened by the pounding of his boiling adrenaline-fuelled blood. To his left Brighteye whooped with glee, throwing his head back and clapping a hand to Gilbert's shoulder with a broad grin before racing off towards the next werewolf they were aiming for. "Keep up, Bloodgaze! You're not old enough to be getting tired yet!" he called back to the Sauprisian, a teasing glint in his eyes.

At the playful challenge Gilbert couldn't help the cocky smirk which spread across his lips. Without missing a beat he slammed his elbow into the throat of a nearby Handler and bounded forward until he was in synch with the other werewolf. "Don't get cocky, it doesn't suit your pretty little face!" He sneered, all tension on his part completely forgotten in the rush of the moment.

Brighteye simply chuckled, slamming his shoulder into the middle of a Handler's chest and knocking him heavily to the ground. Strangely enough he had no misgivings about harming these men. If he took Ivan out of the equation then many of them he had been on good terms with! Yet Gilbert had no qualms to smashing into them at full speed or hacking at them with his sword with intent to maim or even kill. The purpose spurred him on, forcing him to forget about anything that could compromise the end result.

First things first, though. He had to find Ridgeback - if the pup was still alive that is.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

Ludwig hissed in pain as the metal pipe collided roughly with his bicep. When Berwald strode forward, raising his weapon into the air to strike at Ivan, the Relbiner snapped at him to stop. "Just go help the others, I'll keep him busy." Ludwig growled, rising once more to his feet, knuckles tightening around the handle of his axe.

Ivan grinned mockingly at the formidable man until Berwald grunted an unintelligable affirmation and raced off. "Was that a wise move, _mal'chik_?" he crooned, meandering closer to Ludwig with a sickening glint in his irises. Ivan barely even seemed to register it when the young blond slashed at his hip. "The ox is a strong comrade, and you are clearly inexperienced." Ivan casually ran his pipe down the fabric of Ludwig's tunic, grazing the flesh beneath deliberately. "Against me you have no chance on your own. Remember this while I pound you into dust, all right _mal'chik_?"

Before Ludwig could even consider biting back a retort, they were interrupted by the arrival of a tall Handler with his dark hair in a long braid. "Captain Braginski, we're being overwhelmed at the Northern and Eastern walls! Chief Adnan is nowhere to be found, what are your orders?"

The dark chuckle which emanated from Ivan's throat was enough to make Ludwig shudder as his blood ran cold. "Stop holding back. Use all force necessary - do not be wasting any more time trying to take the dogs back alive, any who are freed and won't return willingly kill them. If you can use the chained ones' lives to bargain then do so. Make sure this is done, comrade Batukhan."

"Sir!" the confirmation was shaky, filled with concern and hesitation. Regardless, like a good soldier the man gave a curt nod and raced off to relay Ivan's instructions.

Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Ludwig grabbed Ivan's pipe and used it to twist the larger man's arm painfully. Then he leapt to the side, using the pipe to restrain Ivan by the neck from behind. "I'm far from helpless." he hissed right into the Handler's ear, pulling on the pipe to restrict Ivan's air-flow. "I might not have trained for most of my life but you'd do well not to let your guard down!"

An amused giggle floated airily past Ivan's lips as he shook his head. "You are most amusing, little smith-son. It is too bad I will not be letting you win this little game of strength - you could have done well in our ranks, yes?" Without allowing even a milisecond for Ludwig to respond, Ivan jabbed his elbow painfully into the Relbiner's ribs. Taken by surprise, Ludwig gasped in pain, releasing the pipe as he stumbled backwards. Barely a moment later Ivan's armoured fist collided with the younger man's chest, sending him flying to the groud.

While watching Ludwig struggle to regain the wind that had just been knocked out of him, Ivan callously pushed his foot down onto the blond's wrist. He smirked eerily at the pained cry that came from Ludwig when he ground the wrist into the rough ground. "Silly boy. I am thinking I will enjoy this more than I first thought. Yes, I will break you before this is over."

* * *

><p>AN: I can't remember the Christmas holidays ever being so hectic before now! Seriously I thought that once I got home for the holidays I would have tins of time to just chill and work on Vollmonds. As it turns out there hasn't been a day when my presence hasn't been demanded outside of the house for absolutely hours on end! So yeah I had very little time so far, but I hope to get at least one more chapter of this out before college starts up again.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter despite the shortness. Please let me know what you thought!

_**New Handler**_

Batukhan Gantulga (Mongolia)

_**Translation**_

_mal'chik** - **_boy


	31. Chapter 30

It soon became clear that Ivan had no intentions of endinghis fight with Ludwig quickly. Ludwig fought back valiantly but for every wellplaced blow to the armoured hulk of a man, Ivan would floor him and slam either foot or pipe in return.

The tall blond threw his head back and bellowed in pain. Aparticularly vicious swing of Ivan's pipe snapped the bone in his lower beamed coldly, kneeling down and running a hand roughly over the injured shin. Feeling a harsh chill burst over him, Ludwig threw his good leg – slamming his foot heavily into Ivan's chest.

Taken aback Ivan shouted as he fell. Not even attempting to struggle to his feet, Ludwig took the opportunity to get as far as possible before Ivan recovered. As he wriggled over the rough ground Ludwig glancedaround. He had lost his axe at some point during the struggle – leaving him practically defenceless.

His eyes widened and lips parted in an agonized gasp when an armoured foot crunched down onto his wrist. "That was not nice." Ivan taunted his cold eyes suddenly aflame with malice. "I am thinking you need to be learning your place much better."

Despite the crippling fear and vulnerability flooding over him, Ludwig scowled defiantly. If he did nothing else he would vehemently deny giving Ivan the pleasure of watching him beg. He spat on the foot crushing his wrist and glared up at the Urisasan. "Go ahead and try!" he hissed.

Ivan's face broke into the most eerie smile Ludwig had everseen and in the following silence cold dread sank even further into the pit o fhis stomach. "I will enjoy this, _mal'chik_." Maybe he shouldn't have challenged Ivan so readily – but he refused to back down now. Ivan would have to break every bone in Ludwig's body before he gave in.

_Damn you Gilbert. This is all your fault._

_~#~#~#~#~#~#~_

Gilbert slumped heavily against the wall, taking deep breaths as he sniffed at the air - trying to sort through the scents in order to find Ridgeback's. He snarled vehemently, he could barely even make out Brighteye who was only a few feet away from him! There were too many smells all mingling together until they were undistinguishable from each other.

Beside him Brighteye stiffened, eyes widening at the tall figure he had seen in the distance. "It can't be..." he murmured disbelievingly. Just when Gilbert was about to ask what was wrong when Brighteye broke into a full-scale sprint. Cursing under his breath, Gilbert sprang up and raced after the other werewolf. It didn't take too long to catch up but all attempts at getting him to talk were blatantly ignored as Brighteye kept his attention strictly on the man he was heading towards.

The man's long legs were moving quickly as he barrelled his way through groups of Handlers with determination. Gilbert recognised him but they were still too far away to be sure exactly who it was. Whoever iit was, they were with Solace.

Within seconds he saw that the man was racing towards a Handler who was standing guard over his charge. Gilbert's pace faltered and he almost came to a halt. He knew that calm, defiant stance. In fact Gilbert doubted he would ever forget it. That was the pup he'd been looking for. Instantly his pace picked up again and soon he surpassed even Brighteye's gait. Gilbert saw the man clash weapons with the Rookie Handler.

A cheering whoop echoed off the walls nearby. "Get 'im, lad! Show the rookie he don't stand a chance here!" Gilbert didn't even need to glance over to recognise that feral voice. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted the bright red and wolfish smirk of Ved Wildmane - an unconscious Handler by her bare sight came as no surprise to him. Out of them all Wildmane was easily the most dangerous. No one knew just how long she had been Chained to the wall but there were none who could remember a time when she hadn't been there. And she was absolutely fearless. Wildmane had gone through countless Handlers over the years, and only a couple of them had been attacked during the full moon. As such the duty of Handling her always fell to the Chief, now.

By the time they got close enough to see the face of the man they had been following he had already knocked out the young Handler and had turned his attentions to Ridgeback. "Berwald!" Brighteye croaked hesitantly, as if not daring to believe his eyes or his nose just yet. At the sound of his name Berwald turned and before Gilbert could even blink he had drawn Brighteye into a firm embrace murmuring what sounded like 'Tino' over and over again. _That must be Brighteye's real name._

Leaving the other two to continue their heartfelt reunion Gilbert carefully padded over to Ridgeback, not daring to meet the boy's eyes. He was already losing weight, and up-close Gilbert could see that the dignity in the way he held himself was far more strained than before. "We're going to get you out of here okay, kid?" he muttered in what he hoped was a more reassuring voice than the guilty croak it sounded like to his ears.

As he got to work on the Chain he could see Jamar's shoulders slump and his whole body relax. "Wildmane said I was mad for waiting for you. I knew you'd get me out somehow, though. You're not the kind of man to break a promise like that one." Gilbert scoffed to hide the unmanly emotion the boy's comment provoked and scolded him for being so sentimental.

"Just help me break this damn chain, alright?"

With a quick nod, Jamar pulled the chain taut. To the kid's credit he didn't even flinch whenever Gilbert's weapon made contact with the chain - surely jarring his young arms every time it did. Once it had snapped, Gilbert settled a pale hand on the dark shoulder. "Now get out of here, trust me when I say you don't want to stick around. I don't like how quiet it's getting." he murmured before giving the Southerner a shove.

For a moment Jamar looked genuinely torn, glancing back at Gilbert who snarled a commanding 'Go!' which finally succeeded in getting him to run.

That was when Gilbert noticed it. He stiffened and looked over at Berwald who was still fussing over Brighteye. He could smell traces of Ludwig. But not the traces he would have liked to pick up. Berwald was carrying the scent of Ludwig's blood on him - he was injured somewhere and Berwald had left him.

"Oxenstierna!" Gilbert roared, grabbing harshly at the man's collar which peeked over the edge of his light armour. "Where is he? _Where_ the Hell did you leave, West? I swear on the Matriarch if you don't tell me what's going on right now you'd better hope your little reunion there was satisfying enough to last you the afterlife!" Before Berwald even had a chance to answer, Tino grabbed Gilbert and hauled him off the taller man. The short werewolf glared at Gilbert and snarled protectively only to get a sharp snarl in response.

Berwald gave them both an even look. Surprisingly Tino immediately backed off, releasing the Sauprisian with a hissed warning not to touch Berwald again. "Corner of the Southern and Eastern walls. Been looking for you since he sent me off. You need to get over there, _now_. He's keeping Ivan occupied but he was getting worn down ... I don't know how long he will be able to hold him off."

At the mention of Ivan's name, Gilbert already pale skin turned sickly. His fists clenched and he looked about ready to punch Berwald right in the face. A quick growl from Tino held him back though. "Why the Hell'd you leave him with that monster? Do you have any idea how dangerous Ivan is? Damn it, he better still be alive when I get there Berwald. Otherwise you're fucking dead, got it?" Gilbert snarled.

That was the first time Gilbert had ever seen Berwald's passive expression twist into a glare. He pulled himself up to full height, standing almost half a foot taller than Gilbert himself. "I came to get you. Ludwig sent me to keep helping with the chains - but you needed to know." Gilbert scowled and turned quickly on his heel, running around to the Eastern wall. _West had better still be alive ... damn it just hang in there!_

Images of Ivan grinning sadistically while standing over a bloodied Ludwig kept flashing through Gilbert's mind. He didn't even notice as he plowed through enemies and allies alike, yelling at them for getting in his way. If Ivan had hurt Ludwig in any way then Gilbert was going to murder him. He swung his sword at a Handler who charged at him. "I don't have the damned time for this!" he snarled viciously, slamming his foot into the man's shin with such force that he was sure he had felt it break even through the heavy armour.

His heart froze and Gilbert felt a landslide settle in his throat as he heard Ivan's cruel, high-pitched giggle echo through the air followed by a bellow of agony. _Ludwig ..._

With a new-found burst of desparate speed, Gilbert leapt over bodies and slammed his way past anyone unlucky enough to be standing even vaguely in his path. He had to get to Ludwig ... he should never have let Ludwig take charge of the second group and stuck close to him. If something happened to West ... Gilbert just didn't know what he would do. Killing Ivan was the obvious first step, but afterwards? The Sauprisian grit his teeth and shook his head. There was no time to be thinking about this now - he just had to reach them before it was too late.

Then he saw them. Ivan stood tall and unfazed amongst the carnage, holding Ludwig against the wall by his throat and watching an cruel amusement as the Relbiner struggled weakly to breathe and free himself. The scent of Ludwig's blood stung Gilbert's nostrils and he let out a howl of outrage.

He didn't even take time to think. Gilbert's vision honed straight in on Ivan's form, a murderous red haze clouding everything else into obscurity. "_Westen_!" Ivan's gaze instantly snapped towards Gilbert and a sick grin broke across his face. His grip on Ludwig's throat tightened enough to taunt the werewolf.

"_Sobaka!_" Ivan crowed with glee. "I was hoping you would be here to see this." Gilbert halted his advance when Ivan pulled Ludwig away from the wall, only to slam him back against it - a threatening glint in his eyes. "Do not be hasty, now. The little smith-son has been very brave so far, it would be a shame if I had to finish him so quickly yes?"

Gilbert growled, bristling as he forced himself to remain where he was. Red eyes flickered between Ludwig and Ivan, torn between being consumed with protective fury and terrified concern. "Put. Him. Down." Ivan feigned consideration, tapping his chin thoughtfully with his free hand while the thumb of his other one stroked the exposed skin of Ludwig's neck. "Damn it, Braginski! I told you to let him go!" Ludwig's struggles were growing ever-weaker, eyes losing focus from lack of oxygen.

Ivan's grin broadened challengingly, his eyes fixed upon Gilbert's with horrifying promises lingering behind them. "I do not think I will. He has been very fun to play with, you see, and he hasn't quite learned his lesson yet. He tried to take my _Yagnenok_ from me. That is unforgivable. Besides, what are you going to do about it, little one?"

"Tear you to pieces!" Gilbert promised furiously. Ivan simply laughed, throwing his head back and allowing Ludwig to drop to the ground gasping for air and clutching at his red, bruised neck. "West! You alright?" Ludwig nodded vaguely, even if it wasn't entirely true he was still alive for the time being. That would have to suffice for now. Ivan, however, didn't miss the gleam of worry in Gilbert's face because he made a show of kicking Ludwig squarely in the ribs, sending him roughly into the wall again.

"You were never one for sentiment, mongrel. This one must have made quite the impression on you." Ivan mused at the shout of concern his actions prompted. "How badly would you break if I sent him to the Matriarch, I wonder? Should I do that, _Sobaka_?" He only vaguely glanced at Gilbert, taking a knife out from his belt. "He wouldn't be able to put up a fight, anymore. It would be too easy to pierce his heart, wouldn't it? No fun in that ... but I am thinking seeing the look on your face when I do would be worth it, yes?"

Gilbert's knuckles tightened around the pommel of his sword and he barked furiously. "You even try to touch him again, and I'll end you right here!" Ivan only laughed sadistically and forced Ludwig up by his throat once more.

"How about we put your word to the test, hmm? See if your bite is as fearsome as your bark." Before Gilbert could even respond Ivan plunged the knife into Ludwig's chest. The Sauprisian could only watch in sickening, frozen horror as Ludwig gurgled, eyes widening as he slumped limply to the ground.

* * *

><p>AN: It took forever to write this chapter, purely because of that last little section there... don't kill me though because things are going to get really good, I swear! Let's face it, after doing something like that, Gilbert isn't going to let Ivan get away with it.

Also I changed the way that I write Berwald's speech because it's far too tedious to do it the other way and it's sometimes too tricky to work out what he's saying, even for me! Besides I'm sure you can all imagine his accent to some extent.

I'm not going to make anymore promises in regards to a quick update but I can promise you that I will finish this story, especially as we are so close to the conclusion. Thank you to everyone for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this slightly-longer-than-the-last-ones chapter. Please let me know what you thought, and I will hopefully see you all again soon enough with another update.

P.S sorry about the cliff-hanger but if I didn't leave it off here then the chapter would have got too long.


	32. Chapter 31

_**Chapter Thirty One**_

Gilbert instantly ploughed his way past Ivan, kneeling down and grabbing Ludwig's face. His fingers trembled so much as he pressed them desparately into the side of Ludwig's neck that he just couldn't tell if there was a pulse there or not. "C'mon, you're stronger than this!" he rasped pleadingly. "You're not gonna let a little scratch like that beat ya, right West?"

When he failed to illicit any kind of response Gilbert turned his rapidly darkening gaze towards Ivan, a rush of fire spreading through him. He snarled a harsh Sauprisian insult taking hold of his sword again. "Damn you … I'm going to tear that smirk ride off your fucking face!"

Ivan simply grinned lazily. "Will you? You are more than welcome to try, Bloodgaze. I welcome th challenge." The clang of metal smashing against metal echoed around them as the pair leapt straight into a relentless onslaught of violence. Unable to think clearly through his rage and grief, Gilbert hacked carelessly at the offensive monster of a man. Ivan didn't even try and strike back yet, deflecting each blow with his pipe so casually he might as well have been ruffling the werewolf's hair.

Instead of growing tired, though, Gilbert's blows steadily got harder and stronger. The sun was on its way down now, and this was to be the night of the full moon. He had chosen today for the attack for this reason. Every month this was the day when werewolves were at their strongest, their strength mounting as the rising of the moon neared.

The moment when this dawned on Ivan was obvious because he suddenly lost his grin – the childish facade melting away into a violent hatred as he suddenly began to fight back properly. Each time he deflected a swing from Gilbert's blade Ivan aimed a punch at the Sauprisian's face only to have his hand caught in a firmer grip than would be expected from the smaller man. Gilbert smirked coldly and gave Ivan's arm a sudden twist that made him cry out in pain.

"What's the matter, Braginski?" he snarled. "Bet you've never had someone match up to you before, have ya? We're gonna keep this up 'till the moon rises, right?" Gilbert orced Ivan downwards so that he could hiss into the larger man's ear. "What do you think should happen after that? Will I tear you limb from limb? Maul and mutilate you until not even dear Katyusha or little Ati Swiftclaw will be able to recognise your destroyed face?" Gilbert smirked cruelly when Ivan flinched visibly at the mention of his sisters. "Or … maybe I should just bite you, hm? Leave you to what's left of your damned comrades." _Get a little taste of what you put us through?_

Ivan bellowed with fury, and a tiny inkling of fear, as he threw Gilbert off of him and aimed to slam his pipe into the side of the Sauprisian's face. The albino managed to jump out of the way, saving his face but the pipe still made painful contact with his shoulder – making him wince and hiss.

"You really believe you can do this, _Sobaka_?" Ivan growled, grabbing Gilbert's throat with surprising speed. "It was sneaky … choosing this day for your little rescue. This day you are all at your strongest, yes? But do you really believe you can hold me off until the moon rises? I will not be defeated by some runaway mongrel!" Despite Gilbert's struggles, Ivan slammed him down onto the ground, still keeping hold of the Sauprisian's throat. With a false grin he leaned in close to Gilbert's face. "Especially one who has just lost his precious master?"

With a howl of absolute rage Gilbert slammed his knees into Ivan's stomach. Not expecting such a swift or strong reaction, the Handler groaned, clutching his abdomen as he rolled off the werewolf. Taking advantage of the opportunity he leapt onto Ivan, punching wildly at the other man's face and any other part of the body beneath him that he could reach.

Gilbert snarled ferociously when Ivan managed to free his arms and grab hold of his attacker's hands in a punishing grip which was instantly returned with the same amount of strength. Both mens' arms locked as they attempted to bend the other into submission. They yelled and growled as they rolled around in the dusty ground, slamming knees and foreheads into their opponent to get them to yield.

Neither of them did.

They rolled and slammed and crashed for so long they were covered in so many bleeding cuts and angry purple bruises that they couldn't track what caused any single one of them. Somewhere along the line Gilbert had managed to crack Ivan's chestplate enough that it fell off the other man, leaving them on a far more even footing than they had been on before. And Ivan was beginning to tire.

He was a strong man, everyone knew that. But Ivan was only human - he didn't have the full moon to rejuvinate him or raise his stamina levels like the werewolves did. And he had been fighting for hours. With every minute that passed Ivan grew weaker and more desparate while Gilbert's strength rose and his very demeanour grew more wild. More feral. It wasn't natural.

Gilbert drew his head back and smashed it upwards. Ivan howled, falling off the Sauprisian as he clutched his bleeding, broken nose. Vivid purple eyes flashed dangerously as he kicked out at Gilbert's legs. The werewolf just slammed his foot down onto one of the armoured shins.

"You're done, Braginski." Gilbert growled quietly, reaching into his boot for a long thin knife which glinted in the bright light of the lowering sun. "You don't even deserve the chance to live as one of my kind. Sleep tight, _Welpe_."

Ivan's eyes widened with genuine terror as he grasped urgently at the wrist which was bringing the knife towards his throat. Gilbert barked and put his free hand onto the knife as well, forcing it down despite all Ivan's efforts to keep it at bay. "There's no point in fighting it anymore." Gilbert cackled, making mock soothing sounds. "I think I've been generous, all things considered. You remember all those years you had me under your thumb? I should give you a taste of it, but I won't. I should rip you to shreds for taking Ludwig away from me." Gilbert leaned down until their foreheads were touching, his eyes devoid of any fire. Instead they were filled with a cold loathing that froze Ivan's very blood. "May Teybor reject you from his haven!"

The Handler's eyes snapped as wide as they could go, his whole body going rigid as Gilbert wrenched his wrist from the man's grip. He didn't even take a second to revel in the fear which radiated from Ivan before he slashed the man's throat three times in quick succession.

Gilbert's arms fell limp as he gazed down at the lifeless body beneath him. He tossed the knife away and kicked Ivan onto his stomach before taking tentative steps towards Ludwig's prone form. "Hey, West. Did you see that? He's gone! I killed him, alright? So ... there's nothing to stop you waking up, anymore!" The Sauprisian murmured soothingly, though he wasn't sure whether it was Ludwig or himself he was trying to soothe. He wasn't even sure Ludwig could hear him. The possibility that he might never open those blue eyes again wasn't even allowed to cross Gilbert's mind.

Ivan was dead, they had won. Ludwig wasn't allowed to be gone, not today. Not when they had acheived Gilbert's goal. Gilbert gently sat down and shifted Ludwig's torso onto his lap. A broken smile cracked the albino's face. "C'mon, West. We won!" His pale hand trembled as it caressed the younger man's cheek. "Just wake up, okay? 'Cause this ain't funny anymore, Ludwig!"

"G-Gilbert?" It wasn't the voice he wanted to hear, but Gilbert looked up to see Feliciano's ashen face. "I h-heard about the fighting ... came as soon as it was almost over. Knew you two had to be involved s-somehow." his voice was hoarse and his legs trembled as he approached the pair. "Is he ...?"

"No!" Gilbert snapped, perhaps too harshly. He wasn't even sure whether it was true or not. His fingers still trembled too much to even attempt to find a pulse. Feliciano bit his lower lip and knelt down, making to touch Ludwig's face only to have Gilbert snarl and grasp the blond closer to his chest. It was unreasonable - Feliciano was no kind of threat but he wasn't thinking straight right now. Ludwig wasn't moving and he was bleeding from his chest. He needed to be protected.

Feliciano tensed but forced a warm smile and touched Gilbert's shoulder lightly. "Come on ... the Healers are starting to gather up the wounded. Let's get Ludwig some help ... okay, Gilbert?" The Atyilan's voice trembled with the effort not to stutter. He couldn't even meet Gilbert's blood red gaze as he waited for the curt nod of acceptance. "Alright ... follow me, and stick close. No one will try and attack you while you have Ludwig..."

* * *

><p>AN: I hope the fight didn't seem too rushed. Little Feli's back now and Gilbert's getting all protective. So I'm fairly happy with this chapter. Killing Ivan was a wrench because I love the character of Russia - but in this story he deserved it.

For anyone who didn't quite catch it, Ati Swiftclaw is Natalia (Belarus).

_**Translation**_

_Welpe - _Pup


	33. Chapter 32

**_Chapter Thirty Two_**

"Oh, by the Matriarch! Feliciano, is he …? Oh please tell me he isn't!" As soon as they came into view of the make-shift camp a petite woman with short messy blonde hair had rushed over, trembling hands covering her mouth. Her large green eyes were watering, coming dangerously close to outright weeping. Gilbert didn't think he could deal with that right now

Luckily before he could open his mouth to snap at her Feliciano took the girl into his arms and stroked her arm soothingly. "Ludwig's wounded, we need to get him help. Can you do that for us, petalo?" She nodded shakily and moved to help Gilbert carry Ludwig only to receive a warning growl which made her recoil. When she looked at Feliciano he just shook his head. "It's best to let Gilbert do that on his own … he's unpredictable right now and we shouldn't do anything to provoke him, okay?" he murmured cautiously.

"Alright … follow me then, there's a free bed over here." Feliciano walked beside the girl, arm slung loosely around her shoulders in a comforting fashion. She kept glancing back to make sure Gilbert was still following. He was, and sending heated glares towards anyone who so much as glanced at him and Ludwig in a way he didn't think he liked.

It didn't take long to reach the make-shift bed. Feliciano and the girl gave Gilbert more room than was necessary as he dragged Ludwig over to it, grunting heavily as he laid the younger man down. Only once Ludwig was satisfactorily laid down did the girl attempt to approach him again. "Will you let me look him over, now? I'm one of the Healers so let me see what I can do. Alright?" She kept her voice quiet and steady, watching him with a cautious warmth she seemed to hope would help calm him.

It didn't really help but Gilbert grunted with an affirming nod, allowing her to approach Ludwig. He kept close though, one hand settled on sweat-drenched blond hair while the other tenderly held onto Ludwig's own unresponsive one.

"Lili!" Just as the girl started to remove Ludwig's tunic in order to get a better look at his wounds, a sharp voice cut through the heavy atmosphere. Vash Zwingli was approaching them, crossbow in-hand, with a look of absolute thunder on his scowling face. "Get away from them right this instant!"

Lili bit her lip, gazing at him imploringly. "But, big brother, Ludwig's badly hurt!" For a brief second Vash's expression softened but then he remembered Gilbert and the scowl deepened.

"Someone else can tend to him. I want you away from that monster, right now!" Vash pointed his crossbow at Gilbert as he spoke, gesturing with his free hand for Lili to get over to his side. Clearly torn, Lili kept looking between Ludwig and her brother, gnawing so fiercely at her lower lip that it looked close to bleeding.

Gilbert, however, took no notice and glowered viciously at Vash. His grip on Ludwig's hand tightened as a menacing growl passed through his gritted teeth. "You have a problem with me being here, Zwingli? Because I'm going _nowhere_ until West's better!" He ignored Feliciano's urgent plea to keep calm. "If you think you can run me out then be my guest to try!"

"Don't tempt me, mongrel! The only reason I haven't shot you down where you stand is because of my sister, so you'd better be grateful for her presence!" The two glared at each other until Vash grunted and turned away. "Come on, Lili. We're going."

Lili gazed desperately at Feliciano, begging him to help her. Feliciano looked just about as scared as she probably was but he nodded and gulped thickly when he caught her pleading eyes. "Vash ... please if Ludwig doesn't get attention right away then he might not make it! Everyone else is occupied and we don't have time for any of this!" Vash's eyes snapped over to him, burning with suspicion which made the poor Atyilan recoil and automatically take hold of Lili's wrist.

Eventually, though, Vash gave a relenting sigh and a nod. "Fine. But I'm staying here to keep an eye on things. I don't trust you, mutt, and for my sister's sake Ludwig had better survive this or it's on your head." Gilbert grunted and shifted his attention back to Ludwig, only removing his hands so that Lili could relieve the younger man of his tunic.

She winced visibly at the horrible bruising and the deep, seeping wound which was revealed. Gilbert couldn't even bring himself to look. He heard Feliciano try to hold back a retching sob as he took place next to Gilbert by his friend's head. "Will you be alright?" Feliciano whispered urgently to the Sauprisian. "I mean ... it's not long before you'll start to change - should you be here when that happens?"

Gilbert didn't answer straight away, watching the too-still form of the man he had grown so fond of. "Maybe not, but last time Ludwig's presence kept me tame. And I can't leave him, not when he's like this." the werewolf murmured tiredly.

Silence fell between the four of them as Lili set about trying to clean the wound. Her face set with grim determination that didn't suit her young, cheerful visage.

"I don't know whether or not I'll be able to save him, sir." She sighed, looking at Gilbert apologetically. "His leg is broken, as are his wrist and several ribs. There may be internal bleeding as well ... The blade hasn't pierced Ludwig's heart so he's alive for now, but it may have caused some other damage that I can't mend. I'll do what I can, but I just wanted you to know it might not be enough."

Not even Gilbert's determination to keep silent prevented the gurgling choke from escaping the depths of his throat. His fingers tangled into the now matted lockes of blond hair as he pressed his forehead against Ludwig's. When he slowly raised his head again he looked at Lili. "Then I'll turn him. He won't die but he won't ever be able to come back here. If I do this he'll change and I'll keep him in line."

He wasn't expecting the harsh chorus of 'no's which followed his suggestion. Gilbert snarled, hackles raising only for Feliciano to place a calming hand on his shoulder. "It's not that we'll care for him any less ..." Lili began quietly. "If his injuries weren't so extensive then I might have considered it. But in his current state Ludwig won't survive the change! One of the broken ribs is so close to his heart that it will likely be pierced when he changes. So please just let me do what I can. If it becomes neccessary later then we'll consider it again, but right now it's too risky."

Gilbert sighed, shoulders slumping visibly. "All right, but let me stay with him when I change, anyway. As long as he's still alive I won't attack anybody."

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

Just before the moon reached its peak Ludwig's bed was moved away from the rest of the infirmed. Here Gilbert could transform and stay with Ludwig without alarming anyone else in the process. Vash, of course, picked up a few more crossbow bolts before they left 'just in case'. They had watched in horror as Gilbert's form twisted and bent at impossible angles during the change. Afterwards he had whimpered, pacing around them all agitatedly with his head lowered. Growls and whimpers taking it in turn to leave his jaws.

Gilbert watched Lili as she worked, growling every so often in a possessive manner but he kept still and allowed her to work on Ludwig, wrapping up his broken wrist and leg. Cleaning the wound was tender work and even Feliciano kept still, remaining silent so as not to distract her. Even if the werewolf didn't seem to happy about it he allowed the Atyilan to run his fingers nervously through the coarse silver-grey fur as a comforting method.

At first Vash had kept so close to his sister, practically breathing down her neck until she had finally snapped at him to give her some space to work. He did so reluctantly, occupying his mind by watching Gilbert warily. Making sure he didn't make any kind of movement that might be interpreted as a threat to Lili's well-being. It was a tense state of affairs. There was a time half-way through the night when Ludwig seemed to stir, coming to consciousness just long enough to howl in pain when Lili popped a dislocated shoulder back into place. Only a swift distraction of soothing sounds from Feliciano prevented Gilbert from pouncing on the young Healer.

"How much longer is this going to take?" Vash muttered to his sister as calmly as he could. "You need to rest."

Lili shook her head. "It will take as long as it takes, Vash. Don't worry about me, I'll rest when I've done everything I can for him." Gilbert's eyes narrowed protectively at the sad fondness on Lili's face when she gazed at Ludwig once more. "Big brother? Can I ask you to go get Bernhard? He'll want to know about Ludwig ... it's not fair if we keep his son's situation from him." Vash glanced at Gilbert, hand tightening around the crossbow. "He won't do anything, I promise." He nodded reluctantly, squeezing Lili's shoulder carefully as he raced back inside the city walls.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

While Vash was gone Lili finished wrapping Ludwig up as best she could, making sure not to make the bindings so tight that they prevented the bones from setting again. She smiled at Gilbert who immediately rose onto his hind-legs in order to lay himself on Ludwig's stomach, whining pitifully and licking at the younger man's face. "All we can do is wait, now. Wait and hope Ludwig's strong enough to bring himself back long enough to drink this." Lili clutched a small phial containing a soft green liquid.

At the distrusting glare the monstrous man-wolf gave the bottle Lili smiled reassuringly and opened the phial for him to sniff. "It won't poison him. This is a solution made from powdered unicorn horn and dissolved dragon marrow. When ingested willingly it helps speed up recovery." Gilbert whimpered, ears flattening against his head; turning his sorrowful crimson gaze towards Feliciano who petted the fur behind his ears.

"It's Ludwig we're talking about. I'm sure he'll pull through. Okay?" The werewolf didn't seem convinced, but he laid his chin down on Ludwig's stomach with a loud grunting sigh. One of his heavy fore-limbs settled loosely over Ludwig's knees, careful not to put too much pressure on the man beneath him.

Lili and Feliciano had moved to give the other two room. Feliciano had his arm comfortingly around her shoulders as she leaned tiredly against his side. "Do you really think he'll be alright?" Lili murmured, sounding as though she really didn't want to ask or hear the answer. The Atyilan sub-consciously tightened his grip, looking over at his best friend with concern showing on his boyish face.

"He has to be, _petalo_. So we'll keep believing he will, _si_?"

* * *

><p>AN: I cannot believe how quickly I finished this new chapter! I actually had this done the day after I posted chapter 31. But I didn't want to update it too fast, it just seemed too close to update one day and then the next so I gave you all a bit more time to read the last one first. Also I wanted to see whether I could fix up the werewolf-Gilbert bit because it seemed a bit too wooly or my taste.

Also Lili's finally in the actual story! I love Liechtenstein so I had to fit an actual appearance in for her somewhere. The result is this! I just like the idea that Lili's a healer.

Tiny bit of background - I can't remember whether I mentioned the existance of other mythical creatures in this particular universe, so if I have bear with me because there is something that wasn't mentioned before. While other creatures apart from werewolves are extremely rare on the continent this story takes place on they do exist. Dragons themselves are actually extinct but the marrow from their bones have been stored in specialist underground bunkers for medicinal purposes. Healers also keep stocks of unicorn horns for their regenerative properties. When mixed together they make a potent healing potion which works on internal injuries. The potion only works if the body has enough life left in it to help it along, though.

Anyway I hope you enjoyed this update. As always take 30 seconds or so in order to let me know what you thought of it! And before I forget - happy valentines day! Or singles awareness if you're in the same boat as I am!

_**Translation**_

_Petalo - _petal


	34. Chapter 33

_**Chapter Thirty Three**_

For what seemed like hours they all waited in silence for Vash's return. Feliciano and Lili watched the way the werewolf gazed pleadingly up at Ludwig's unconscious face from where they sat on the ground – Feliciano's arm gently surrounding her shoulders as she leaned tiredly against his chest. The only sounds breaking the quiet air being those of the soft whines emanating from Gilbert's beastly form.

It was surprising that such a large, monstrous-looking creature could produce such pathetic sounds from its rough throat. As strange as it was, though, there was something oddly peaceful – if incredibly sad – about the whole scenario.

The night sky was clearer than it had been in weeks; there wasn't a single cloud to obscure the brightly twinkling stars and the air itself was still and quiet. Almost like it was sleeping. With the overwhelming peace of the atmosphere Lili yawned, subconsciously snuggling closer against Feliciano who couldn't help but smile and rest his cheek against her hair.

Rushed footsteps thudded heavily against the ground, startling the pair back up to their feet. Gilbert's ears flattened against his head, lips pulling upwards to reveal dangerous fangs as he snarled. Slowly he lifted himself off of Ludwig's body and rose to his full, intimidating height, crimson irises narrowing warningly at whoever was coming. There was an ominous 'shing' as a sword was removed from its sheath before the two launched themselves at each other.

Lili shrieked with fear as Gilbert and Bernhardt tumbled to the ground. Gilbert's jaws snapped close to the man's face, the fall had separated Bernhardt from his sword and he was having to keep the beast at bay with just his bare hands. Bernhardt growled and grabbed hold of Gilbert's thick neck.

"Are the two of you alright? The creature hasn't harmed anyone has it?" the man called, pulling a surprising amount of strength out of thin air to flip their positions around so that he was above the werewolf, able to keep it pinned down by the throat. Gilbert snarled venemously, clearly unhappy at the accusation. Gulping thickly, Feliciano shakily made his way closer to them.

"Mr Abendroth, sir ... please Gilbert's no threat ... he's the one who brought Ludwig here for his wounds to be tended to!" He pleaded, voice trembling. Bernhardt's eyes snapped over to him, narrowing disbelievingly.

He pressed harder against the beast's throat, gritting his teeth. "This _creature_ is the reason my son is injured to begin with! I recognise you, even like this, Beilschmidt and I always knew you were trouble. You're the one who lured my runt from his home and caused all of this! Give me one good reason I should let him live after everything he has done to my family?"

Gilbert growled, snapping his haws indignantly as he struggled to dislodge Bernhardt from his perch. "Please!" Lili gasped. "Please sir, both of you need to calm down!"

Suddenly a low groan made everyone freeze and look over at the make-shift bed where Ludwig lay. The blond had screwed his eyes together in a pained wince, one arm clutching at his abdomen. Gilbert immediately started to whine, his efforts to get out from beneath Ludwig's father doubling. "Rngh ... Gilbert?" Heavy eyelids parted just enough that the blue of his eyes was slightly visible. "Father ..."

Instantly Bernhardt was thrown off by a sudden twist and jerk from the beast below him. Completely ignoring the man he carefully approached the half-awake Relbiner and shoved his cold snout against Ludwig's hand with a pitiful whimper. Slowly Bernhardt approached, ignoring the protective growls being thrown his way. A large hand settled on his son's hair as a sigh passed through his lips.

"What were you thinking, my son? What possessed you to take part in all this foolishness? I thought you were smarter than that..." Bernhardt murmured softly, running his fingers through the matted, sweaty lockes - taking the harsh edge off his words with the gentle actions.

It took a long time for Ludwig to respond through his heavy breathing. "Couldn't ... couldn't leave ... him alone ..." at those words a half whine half quiet howl escaped from Gilbert who carefully rose up to lick tenderly at the scar over Ludwig's useless eye. "Good ... you survived ..."

"Stop talking." Bernhardt's voice came out harsher than he intended as he forced the words past the lump in his throat. "Save your strength for recovering, runt." Ludwig's smile was ruined by a sharp intake of breath and a grimace. Worried he might have been the cause, Gilbert lowered himself off the bed again. He gazed sorrowfully up at Ludwig with a low soft sound of apology.

Slowly Ludwig's fingers trailed through the fur at the top of Gilbert's neck. "So tired ... I need to sleep ..."

"Then sleep, Ludwig. We will still be here when you next wake." Bernhardt assured him, the sentiments confirmed by a small bark from Gilbert, followed by an affectionate lick to Ludwig's palm. Ludwig nodded with a heavy sigh, taking his hand back. His eyes started to close again, only to open when a small and tender hand touched his chest.

Lili watched him sadly, lips trembling with the effort to keep back her tears. "I know you're tired, Ludwig, but I need you to do something before you go back to sleep, alright?" She waited for a moment until the blond gave a small weak nod. "I need you to drink this for me, can you do that?" After a quick glance from Lili's face to the bottle Ludwig allowed his head to be raised and half of the concoction was poured carefully down his throat. "There you are, sleep now." Ludwig breathed heavily as his head was laid back down. Lili smiled and planted a light kiss to his dirty cheek. "Get better."

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

After Ludwig's brief consciousness an unspoken truce seemed to fall between Bernhardt and Gilbert. Neither made a move against the other, at the same time completely ignoring the other's presence. It was only when Bernhardt promised to wake her up as soon as Ludwig next woke up, or any other developments occurred that Lili finally relented to her brother's fussing and went to sleep.

He didn't wake up until after Gilbert had reverted back to human form. While the Sauprisian was pulling on his clothing Ludwig began to stir, at which point Feliciano gently roused Lili from her slumber. When she reached his side Ludwig wrapped his fingers around her forearm and used it as leverage to force himself into a sitting position. Despite Bernhardt's objections that he shouldn't push himself, Ludwig persevered through the agony. As soon as she was positive he wouldn't keel over, Lili wrapped her arms around Ludwig's neck, burying her face into his shoulder. It was a good sign.

Gilbert's grin, while full of relief was a little strained at the affectionate manner in which Ludwig rubbed Lili's back. They hadn't been together for a year. Lili was no threat, but that didn't mean he had to like the closeness between Ludwig and his ex-lover. "West, how are you feeling?"

Ludwig looked at him, a soft glow in his eyes that Gilbert couldn't quite place. "Like Hell." he croaked in response, turning his attention back to Lili so she could ease the rest of the potion down his throat. Suddenly feeling drowzy again, Ludwig allowed Gilbert to ease him back into a lying position. He grasped Gilbert's hand, refusing to let the werewolf step back.

With a soft sigh, Gilbert knelt down and ran his free hand over Ludwig's forehead. "Just sleep, _Westen_. I refuse to forgive you if you make me lose you after all this." he whispered so that only Ludwig would hear. The younger man nodded meekly, squeezing Gilbert's hand as he closed his eyes - letting sleep overtake him once more.

* * *

><p>AN: Yes it's a shorert chapter, but I thought that was probably the best place to leave it off for now. I considered putting a bit more into this chapter but I figured that the chapter would then have too much content for such a calm part of the story.

I hope you all enjoyed it. The story isn't quite complete yet but I just want to thank everyone who has been reading so far. It's all because of you guys that I even got this far with Vollmonds.

As usual let me know what you thought of the chapter, and I hope to have another one up soon!


	35. Chapter 34

**_Chapter Thirty Four_**

For the first day Ludwig slept fairly soundly, waking long enough to accept a drink of water every few hours. After that his condition rapidly deteriorated. He broke out into a heavy fever and his breathing became ragged as he thrashed around constantly in his sleep. Eventually it got to the point where he had to be tied down so that he wouldn't hurt himself further.

Both Gilbert and Bernhardt refused to leave his side, neglecting their own sleep in favour of keeping an eye on the blond. It didn't take long for the Sauprisian to grow frustrated and distressed – especially once Ludwig began crying out in agony every half hour. Even though the fever grew sobad his skin was almost painful to touch Gilbert refused to let go.

Bernhardt didn't have the same kind of resolve. Although the paternal worry didn't allow him to leave his son's side the Blacksmith could barely bring himself to look upon Ludwig's sweat-drenched face as it scrunched up in constant agony.

After almost two days of this Gilbert rounded on Lili; his teeth bared and eyes flashing dangerously. He ignored Vash's warnings and grabbed the sleeve of her dress so roughly that the petite woman stumbled. "What the Hell's going on here? You said that stuff would make him better! Since he drank that shit all that happened is he's got worse!"

Lili whimpered, not even trying to stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks. "He was really weak, the potion was a long-shot at best!" she pleaded. "I told you it all depended on him once it was taken. It's supposed to purge any danger from the body – there must have been infections orother internal problems I was unable to find! The purging is taking a lot out of him, I'm so sorry!"

Gilbert growled, his grip on her sleeve tightening. He didn't even seem to hear Feliciano's desperate cries or the sounds of Vash loading his crossbow. Just as the weapon was pointed at him he tore his grasp away from her with a heavy exhale.

"You're lucky. If I didn't know Ludwig would likely kill me for hurting you I'd ..." he didn't even finish the half-threat before turning back to Ludwig, resting his forehead on the Relbiner's upper arm. As soon as she was released Vash took his sister protectively into his arms, glaring suspiciously at Gilbert, still holding onto the crossbow just in case he made another move like that.

Bernhardt, on the other hand, showed not even the faintest trace of hesitation before gripping the werewolf's shoulder and using it to forcefully turn him around. "You would do well to mind yourself, beast." he hissed lowly. "Whatever the reason may be, my son clearly wants you here. I don't know how you have managed to poison his mind to make this so but rest assured I will not stand for it continuing. If he survives I shall personally see to it that you won't be allowed near him again." His voice was deceptively calm and threatening, expertly disguising the slight tremble brought on by hatred and worry.

Not that such things mattered to Gilbert. His eyes snapped wide open at the prospect of Bernhardt's promise. With a feral sound of unrestrained defiant anger he grabbed the Blacksmith's tunic, jerking him harshly. "I never wanted this!" he snarled. "Believe what you want about me, but if I'd had my way Ludwig never would have left that night! The fault for his condition lies with me and Braginski, but know this: he had every opportunity to turn away from all this ... he chose not to. Just remember that the next time you dare make promises you won't be able to keep. No matter how hard you try, if he wants to leave again you won't be able to stop him!"

They stood there like that for what seemed like an eternity, glaring irately; silently challenging one another to take the first move. "That's enough!" Vash snapped. "Save it for after he recovers - do you really want Ludwig waking up to find out you have killed each other!" With a hissing snarl, Gilbert released Bernhardt. His gaze never left the taller, broader male as he retorted.

"For now. But if he pushes me too far then by the Matriarch I will not be responsible for my actions!"

"This once we are in agreement." Bernhardt's voice was cold and dangerous, as he rested a hand on his belt by a curved dagger. "See to it that you don't overstep the line or, regardless of Ludwig, I will not hesitate to end you where you stand. Remember that."

Gilbert grunted in acknowledgement, nodding to show the challenge had been accepted. "Feliciano." the Atyilan looked towards Vash, jumping slightly. "Keep an eye on things for me. I'm going to get us some food." Vash didn't even wait for a reply before turning on his heel and striding towards the nearest Gate.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

Over the next few days Ludwig seemed to grow weaker. Even though his fever finally broke someone had to wake him regularly so that he could take what little food and water he could stomach. The tremors and cries of pain still had not stopped or lessened, but his reactions were growing less violent.

In fact Gilbert began regularly pressing an ear lightly against the Relbiner's chest to make sure he was still breathing. He pretended to ignore the worried whisperings between Lili and Feliciano and only left Ludwig's side when they forced him to take some rest and a bite to eat. Gilbert hadn't had much of an appetite since the fever started up but he forced himself to at least take some bread. He refused to let himself fall into ill-health. If only because he was determined to be there when Ludwig got better (Gilbert steadfastly denied any other possibility).

After the last confrontation between him and Bernhardt neither Lili or Feliciano had approached the Sauprisian or even attempted conversation. That is, until three days later. Timidly Lili had shuffled over, offering an apple to him. Gilbert had taken the fruit with a mumble of gratitude.

"Do ... do you think he'll get better?" she asked quietly, her large eyes trained on the trembling form of the unconscious Ludwig. She stood at a distance from him and refused to look at the werewolf beside her. That only added an extra layer of harshness to his response. Gilbert had never harmed the young woman, and despite any threats he probably never would.

"He will. Even if I have to Turn him at the next full moon! West isn't allowed to die, not after everything we've been through!" There was a brief pause in which Gilbert winced at the visible flinch in Lili's frame. "He ain't allowed to leave me ... not now."

Having overheard this Vash scoffed. "Do you have any idea how selfish you sound right now, Hound? If it is Ludwig's time to pass on to Teybor's side then we have no say in the matter! If he dies, that's it. I won't hear any talk of Turning, you have no right to bite Ludwig without his consent."

For the first time in hours Gilbert's gaze left Ludwig's face. His dark red eyes flashing daringly as he bared his sharp teeth at the marksman. "I _am_ selfish, Zwingli, I don't deny that. But if it keeps him alive that little bit longer I'm willing to do just that! And don't dare act all high and mighty because right now none of you are any better than me! It's not for his sake any of you are willing Ludwig to pull through - just like me you're keeping here because you ain't ready for him to leave this life behind!"

Vash growled, squaring his shoulders challengingly. "What did you just say to me? You filthy damned Mongrel ..." he was interrupted by a low moan and a sharp jerking movement from Ludwig. Instantly all eyes were on the young blond who suddenly took hold of Gilbert's bicep. Without a second's hesitation the Sauprisian settled a hand on the one holding him and moved the other one to Ludwig's knee.

"Hey, calm down, _Westen_ I'm still here." The grip on his arm tightened momentarily before relaxing again. "How do you feel?"

A harsh, coughing chuckle shook through Ludwig's chest as his eyes opened fractionally. "It doesn't hurt much any more ... I'm just sore." he croaked, voice dry and scratchy. "The burning in my chest is fading." He winced as his arm spasmed, the grip tightening around Gilbert's bicep once again. "I can't control my body though ..."

The werewolf glanced at Lili who laughed with relief, her large eyes glistening even as her lips curled in happiness. "Don't worry, that will pass soon. You're going to be just fine Ludwig."

Hearing those words Gilbert's face broke into a broad grin, his eyes losing all the previous intensity - instead adopting a dancing gleam. Before anyone else could make any kind of reaction he rose slightly and planted a deep kiss on Ludwig's lips, one hand running through the dirty hair while the other laced fingers with one of the blond's own. Just as the younger man began to respond, though, he pulled away.

His features adopted a stern expression of disapproval, losing any intimidating factor it held by the incessant twitching of his lips and the jovial wetness of his eyes. "Don't fucking dare do that to me again! You understand?" Ludwig just smiled and weakly caressed the back of Gilbert's neck with shaky fingers.

* * *

><p>AN: And he's out of the danger-zone! Sorry to anyone who really wanted Ludwig to be Turned, but that was one thing I was determined about when I started this story: Ludwig was always going to remain human. I just feel that after everything that would not only be generic but that little bit too far. Besides, I like the dynamic the two have as they are.

So yeah, I don't think Bernhardt and Gilbert will ever really get along, but at least for now they've come to a sort of truce. Also don't hate Vash, he's just never liked Gilbert and the whole werewolf thing has just made matters worse between them.

Not quite finished yet, I have another chapter or two planned! I will genuinely miss this, as I think it's one of the best things I have had the pleasure of writing, to date! Anyway as usual I hope you enjoyed, and please let me know what you thought of the chapter.

See you again soon!


	36. Chapter 35

With Ludwig now deemed to be out of any immediate danger Bernhardt insisted that he be moved to their home within the city. There he could rest and recover properly without any repercussions from being constantly out in the open. If it hadn't been for his previously critical condition he would have been taken inside as soon as Bernhardt arrived.

They moved him after night fell, that way Gilbert could go with them without having to worry as much about any unwanted attention. The blacksmith had made no comments about the kiss Gilbert had shared with his son, although now the indiscreet glares were far more frequent and he looked ready to murder the Sauprisian any time the pair shared even the slightest physical contact.

He also made a severe point to never allow them to be alone in the house. When he had to tend to the smithy Bernhardt ensured that either Feliciano or someone else was there in his stead. Not that he needed to go to all the effort as Feliciano seemed terrified that if he was away from Ludwig for too long then the blond would somehow fall dead in a matter of moments. Honestly Gilbert had no idea how Ludwig managed to tolerate the Atyilan's constant fussing!

After a week of watching Feliciano hounding Ludwig every waking minute (when he wasn't preparing their food) Gilbert finally asked just how the Relbiner coped with that. Ludwig had just shrugged with a fond chuckle and said. "He's always been that way, guess I just don't notice it anymore." The werewolf had let the subject drop after that.

It didn't take long for Ludwig to have the strength to join everyone else at the hand-carved wooden table during meal times. Feliciano's grandfather had gifted him with a set of specially designed wooden sticks to help with the walking since his leg was still broken.

Even though a lot of progress was being made in Ludwig's recovery and the albino's presence was still being grudgingly tolerated, Gilbert couldn't help becoming restless. He would pace around whichever room he and Ludwig were occupying at the time, save for when he was cuddled into the younger man's side or vice-versa. He had to avoid speaking with Feliciano to avoid snapping at the young man and upsetting him. Bernhardt didn't need any more fuel against him than he already possessed.

Even as a boy Gilbert had loathed being confined indoors for any extended period of time. Right now he couldn't leave the Abendroths' home in case of inviting trouble that none of them needed. The remaining Handlers wouldn't hesitate to have him Chained again or even kill him for the part he took in the attack. So he was stuck, growing ever more frustrated. He didn't even know how many of the men and women from Solace had survived and made it home!

"West." Ludwig looked over at him with an eyebrow raised, inviting him to continue. "How long will it be until you can use that leg again?" The Sauprisian waved vaguely at it with his finger. Ludwig thought for a moment, moving a hand down carefully from the knee.

"It shouldn't be too much longer. Whatever was in that concoction Lili gave me it's sped things up incredibly. I'd give it maybe another week and a half?"

Gilbert nodded slowly, hesitating over what he was about to say next. "Good. Listen, West ... I can't stay here much longer. No, just hear me out before you say anything. This is hard enough without you interrupting me, alright?" He sighed heavily, looking at his knees as he spoke. "There's no place for me here in Relbin, anymore. You know that as well as I do. I'll be going back to Vike once you're healed, I need to know you're alright before I leave. What I wanted to say ... is you're welcome to come with me - if you want to. But I won't blame you for staying behind, now that you're back."

"Don't be so stupid, Gilbert." Ludwig snapped harshly, making the werewolf jump and look at him in surprise. "You honestly think you can leave me behind after all this? Wasn't my near death enough to prove to you that I'm not going anywhere?" The blond sat up with a grunt, glaring disbelievingly at Gilbert. "I went up against Ivan for you, so stop with all the self pity and get it through your thick skull! Even if you did go without me, I'd follow you to Vike or wherever else you happen to go. You're not getting rid of me - not after everything we've gone through together. Do you understand? I can't lose you, not now."

Slowly a smile tugged at Gilbert's pale lips. Not his trademark feral smirk or teasing grin, but a genuine smile. Without warning he crawled onto Ludwig's bed, not even hovering over him for half a second before pulling the younger man into a searing kiss. "Awesome."

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

Bernhardt didn't take well to the news that Ludwig would be leaving once again. He slammed the tankard of ale against the table with a vehement exclamation. "I won't allow it, Ludwig! That's twice I've almost lost you, all because of him! You're not going, and that's final - I won't hear anything more of this foolishness! I don't know what hold that dog has over you, but you will break it! If this kind of talk persists then I'm sending him away from this home; he will not be allowed back through these door, and that is final!"

What happened next took them all by surprise. Gilbert stared at Ludwig in awe as he struggled to his feet and retorted with a bitter venom he had never heard from the blond before. "I. Am. No. Child. You keep on coddling me like some infant and I won't take it, any more! I am old enough to choose, for myself, where I will take my life. Once there was a time I would have gladly stayed, carried on our family's trade - but that time is gone. Maybe I'm wrong and my place lies here at the Smithy; should that turn out to be the case then I will return. Until then I go where Gilbert does. If you send him away then I'll just follow. With or without your consent."

Father and son stood there, staring heatedly at one another in a cold and heavy silence. Gilbert didn't even dare breathe in case breaking the atmosphere would cause one or both men to turn on him rather than each other. "What happened to the boy I raised?" Bernhardt growled, fingers curling into tight fists. "He would never have spoken to me with such impudence! After everything I have done for you, everything I would have given you! You would throw it all away, for a mongrel?"

"Yes. I would. As I said I am no longer a child, if this is a mistake then it is mine to make and learn from! You cannot keep me from the world forever, father, and I will see it for myself. Find my way in it on my own."

With that Bernhardt's cold gaze snapped to Gilbert. "Beilschmidt. I don't know what you've done to change my son, but I can see my words alone are not enough to sway his judgement. You may remain until he is healed. Ludwig can choose whether he leaves with you or not. But I swear on the Matriarch and on Teybor himself, if any more harm comes his way because of you then I will not hesitate to end your miserable existence. Remember that, dog." Without another word, or a glance at either of the other two Bernhardt turned on his heel and stormed back to the Smithy.

* * *

><p>AN: The next chapter will be the last one. There will be an epilogue of sorts mixed in with it as well, so look forward to it! I make no promises of sequels or anything but I am kind of thinking of one. If I can't form a good enough plot though then this story will be left as it is because I do not want to ruin it with a crap sequel. On the other hand there will be other Vollmonds-verse fics at a later date. Mainly one-shots but there are maybe two multi-chapters that I'm thinking of at the moment - one about England and France and the other about America. We'll see what happens. The England and France one is a definite but the Handlers one with America is still in the planning stages as I am working on trying to put a plot together for it.

As it is I hope you enjoyed this chapter - let me know what you thought and I'll hopefully see you soon for the final installment!

Until next time my lovelies!

P.S. I have a whole document with each Hetalia character and what roles they have in this universe - even if they didn't appear in this story. This includes some OCs and other characters who I gave names to that didn't have ones already. If you would like to see it let me know and I'll post it after the final chapter!


	37. Chapter 36

_**Chapter Thirty Six **_

"It's true then ... you really are leaving again." Feliciano murmured holding an elbow with the opposite hand. Ludwig halted in his packing with a heavy sigh, sitting down on the bed. "When were you going to tell me?" He didn't have an answer so just shook his head apologetically. Ludwig had intended to tell Feliciano right after revealing his intentions to Bernhardt; he just could never find the right way to bring it up in conversation.

Feliciano slowly sat next to Ludwig, his eyes fixed entirely on the floor. "You really care for him don't you?" Ludwig didn't say anything at first. He glanced over at his best friend before nodding. There was no point in trying to hide something like this. More often than not Feliciano knew Ludwig better than he did himself. At first it had been annoying but eventually he grew quite glad of that particular development. Sometimes even grateful. So he just nodded an affirmation. Feliciano smiled, it was slightly strained but at the same time still genuine. "I thought so. He really cares for you as well you know? He was so lost while you were unconscious."

"Yeah, I know." Gilbert hadn't told him specifically, but Ludwig had managed to figure it out on his own. They didn't really talk about him almost dieing the subject was too heavy for them both. At first Ludwig had tried to bring it up, feeling guilty that he had made everyone worry so much over him. Gilbert hadn't taken too well to that; had in fact dismissed it with an aggressive bark. The emotional wounds were still too fresh for the albino, they still stung. So Ludwig hadn't brought it up again. He didn't mind so much, if he was honest Ludwig would rather forget about the whole ordeal anyway."

Feliciano's slim fingers settling on his shoulder brought Ludwig back to reality so he glanced over at the Atyilan. "I'm happy for you, truly. And I won't even try to stop you going, because I know I can't. Just promise me something, Ludwig?" Feliciano waited for the nod before he went on. "Don't forget us. And if you get a chance, would you come back to see us?" See me. He didn't need to say it, Ludwig knew him well enough to know that was the hidden meaning behind the plea.

Ludwig smiled slightly and promised he would. Almost before he had finished talking Feliciano stole a brief but tight embrace before standing up and looking at him with bleary eyes. "I need to go, _fratello _is expecting me back at the stall. Good luck in Vike."

If anyone had asked him later Ludwig wouldn't have known what happened in the last week before he and Gilbert were to leave Relbin. It had flown by in such a blur that he just couldn't pinpoint many of the things that had happened. Although he had tried to avoid it, by the end of the week he had been forced to say his goodbyes to everyone he knew. Aside from Feliciano, Lili had been the hardest. Gilbert being there hadn't helped matters. He hated the way Lili embraced Ludwig and wept over his leaving.

Gilbert's goodbyes had been brief, over after the first day. Francis and Antonio had arrived at Ludwig's home, probably prompted by Feliciano. The reunion had been stiff, riddled with guilt and awkwardness, at least at first. Ludwig left to spend the day with Feliciano allowing Gilbert the time with his old friends. By the time he returned that evening the three of them were heavily drunk and having an exaggerated emotional drama over Gilbert and what had happened to him. Needless to say Ludwig had been sound asleep for hours by the time the Sauprisian crawled into bed next to him.

~#~#~#~#~

Bernhardt stood grim-faced and rigid in the doorway, watching Ludwig and Gilbert with a gaze of hardened steel. Nobody spoke, even as Ludwig took careful steps towards his father. Gilbert looked away as the Abendroths' eyes locked upon each other - automatically opposite arms raised and grasped one another just below the elbows.

"Don't get yourself killed, my runt." Bernhardt grunted as he roughly released his son's arm. They exchanged jerky nods before turning their backs in unison. Ludwig strode back to Gilbert's side, patting the Sauprisian on the shoulder to urge him forward. Bernhardt never even glanced back as he shut the door behind him.

Even with the sky having darkened to its deepest, and the clouds obscuring the revealing slivers of moonlight, the pair never moved without great care. Very few people had known of Gilbert's presence within the city, even less knew he was still there. Although Gilbert just wanted to be gone from Relbin as soon as he could, Ludwig had insisted upon exercising caution. They didn't want to deal with any unnecessary difficulties that night.

"I guess he's still mad." Gilbert commented casually, though making sure not to break the silence too sharply. "That was hardly the most familial of partings."

Ludwig just shrugged without any commitment. "Father doesn't forgive easily - especially if he can't understand it." Gilbert hummed a little to show he saw the taller man's point. After that neither man spoke until they reached the Western Gate; once they had slipped past Gilbert enforced a pause in their movements by catching Ludwig by the elbow.

Without questioning the halt Ludwig just looked at Gilbert before opening his mouth. "I take it we're taking the roads this time around? Or do you intend to lead us through that damned forest again just to extend the journey?" It wasn't a serious question, even if Gilbert considered doing anything of the sort Ludwig wouldn't have allowed it.

The albino sniggered and shoved Ludwig's shoulder playfully. "Not unless you really want to, West." Quicker than Ludwig's brain could form a response a lean arm snaked around his neck and brought him down enough for Gilbert to kiss him deeply. As they drew apart the werewolf smirked and teasingly patted Ludwig's cheek. "I'm glad you're coming with me."

~#~#~#~#~

_**Epilogue**_

Upon their arrival back in Vike, Ludwig and Gilbert were greeted warmly by their Solace companions. Some of Gilbert's fellow werewolves had also followed them here - including Brighteye, the spike-haired blond who had caused such a clamour the first time they left Relbin and a couple of red-heads who bore a striking resemblance to Cahir. There were others as well, but not all of them had shown up to greet them.

Although Frederick offered to let them stay in his home once again, Gilbert turned him down quickly. He and Ludwig would stay at Solace's headquarters until other arrangements could be made. They helped around the city as well as at Solace, doing whatever menial tasks were asked of them.

Just over a year later they had enough money to buy a small home of their own.

Their relationship matured and settled until they were more than comfortable not to hide it from anyone else. Although, for a long time Ludwig was frustrated by the lack of structure in his life. Gilbert had been elevated into a permanent position with Solace, while Ludwig still had no idea what he would be doing one day from the next.

One day he paid a visit to the Blacksmith, browsing the old man's work while he continued to shape the steel into beautiful curved weapons, both ceremonial and practical. Ludwig barely noticed as the clanging came to a halt nor the eyes boring into his back. "You got an eye for weapons, boy?"

"My father's the Smith in Relbin, I've learned the trade from him." the Relbiner responded proudly. The old man smirked and set down his hammer, motioning for Ludwig to approach him. Once he was close enough the Smith grabbed Ludwig's wrists and examined the young man's hands.

"Calloused, but still soft. You're still in the middle of apprenticeship, not yet capable of taking on your own forge." He paused, searching Ludwig's working eye. "I'm old, boy. I have no sons nor apprentices to carry on this forge after I'm gone. Everyone young enough to learn hasn't the passion or the spark for Smithing, but you ... I could work with you, train you to be the best of your generation. You belong in a forge, think on my offer. But don't take too long - I'm not sure how much longer I have in this world."

True to his word, Bertók taught Ludwig everything he knew, leaving him the Smithy when he passed on into Teybor's Sanctuary.

"Someone was working hard today." Gilbert chuckled as Ludwig immediately began to wash himself after entering the house. Ludwig snorted in response, pointedly ignoring the slim finger deliberately teasing the base of his bare spine.

"I wonder who's fault that could be." Ludwig droned sarcastically. "Surely it wasn't _your_ idea to mention the deteriorating state of equipment to the local farmers _and _the city guard."

"Now, now. I only _implied_ that one man's pitchfork was looking a little on the rusty side, and I have no idea who spoke to the guardsmen but you know I don't get along with those self-righteous _Jungen_." Gilbert smirked and settled his hands on Ludwig's hips, turning the younger man around to face him. "Maybe it was the farmer, figured he was doing his good deed for the day, _ja_?"

Ludwig rolled his eyes, fighting against the amused twitching in his lips. "You're impossible, Gilbert. Sometimes I don't know how I put up with you day after day." A mischievous glint sparked in the Sauprisian's eyes, his lips curling challengingly as he pulled on the larger man's hips to drag him towards the room in which their bed lay waiting.

"Well, now ... how about I remind you?"

* * *

><p>AN: And finally here's the end! The last few months have been hellishly busy for me, so working on the chapter was difficult - especially when my laptop charger died. But that's over and I finally managed to bring out the final instalment of Vollmonds!

Now there have been a couple of things mentioned in the reviews that I would like to address before I go any further - I am sorry that there wasn't much in the way of smut in this story, but I wanted this to be a more character and plot-driven piece rather than a weak plot worked in around a scary amount of sex scenes. Sometimes it can be very well done, but I'm not confident enough in my own story-telling yet to give that a go. Although I will have more sex scenes in the sequel.

Which brings me onto another thing that was said, now I just want to make clear that I am not having a go about this, but since it was an anonymous review I couldn't respond to it any other way than in here. Someone mentioned that there was a lot more I could do with this story and wanted to know why I was finishing it here. The answer is simple: because I got an idea for a sequel, and I didn't want Vollmonds to end up being a never-ending story with gradually weaker and weaker plots just so that I can continue writing in the world. So I had to wind up this particular story here because it seemed like the logical place to do so, for me.

Now that's been cleared up I just want to give a big thank you to all my readers, reviewers, watchers etc. It means a lot that you've enjoyed Vollmonds just as much as I have and I hope this ending is satisfactory to as many of you as possible.

The info-page will be up just a few minutes after this one so I'll go and get them both posted now. Again thank you to everyone and keep a lookout for the coming sequel and spin-offs I have planned. Well, once I've made reasonable head-way on my other projects. Still now that I've finished college I should have more than enough time to work on all of them.

Until next time!


	38. Information Page

_**Characters (main, minor and OCs) – Solace**_

Frederick Wilhelm (Old Fritz) \

Katyusha Braginski (Ukraine) \

Berwald Oxenstierna (Sweden)

Matthew Williams (Canada) \

Carlos Machado (Cuba) \

Eduard Von Bock (Estonia)

Cahir Burke (Northern Ireland) \

Emrys Kerwyn (Wales) \

Thorfin Rendall (Orkney) \

Mafuane (South Africa) \

Abilio Syun (Macau) \

Esi (Ancient Egypt) \

Gaia (Ancient Greece) \

_**Relbin Werewolves**_

Toris Laurinaitis (Lithuania) – Tir Longlimb

Raivis Galante (Latvia) – Vin Smallpaw

Natalia Arlovskaya (Belarus) – Ati Swiftclaw

Abel Van Shyke (Netherlands) – Leb Steeljaw

Tino Väinämöinen (Finland) – Von Brighteye

Jamar Nwosu (Cameroon) – Raj Ridgeback

Tadhg Ross (Scotland) – Tag Scarmaw

Carlyn Burke (Republic of Ireland) – Bek Notchear

Holger Eriksson (Shetland) – Gor Icegaze

Yao Wang (China) – Gan Darkpelt

Yong-Soo Im (South Korea) – Sim Moonfang

Mei Xiao (Taiwan) – Ixi Gracestride

Linh Quang (Vietnam) – Nev Strikeclaw

Tania Abdalla (Seychelles) – Ani Seabreeze

Voeddog (Celt) – Ved Wildmane

Feliks Łukasiewicz (Poland) – Kif Cornpelt

Ambra Dubois (Monaco) – Mar Braidmane

_**Handlers**_

Ivan Braginski (Russia) – formerly Gilbert's Handler, now Toris'

Alfred F. Jones (America) – Jamar's Handler

Sadik Adnan (Turkey) – Chief and Voeddog's Handler

Magnus Densen (Denmark) – Tino's Handler

Serghei Dragomir (Romania) – Raivis' Handler

Nikola Balakov (Bulgaria) – Natalia's Handler

Leon Wong (Hong Kong) – Yao's Handler

Lukas Bondevik (Norway) – Holger's Handler

Emil Steilsson (Iceland) – Tania's Handler

Joshua Bruce (Australia) – Yong-Soo's Handler

Vash Zwingli (Switzerland) – Feliks' Handler

Kiet Noi (Thailand) – Linh's Handler

Boris Malenkov (General Winter) – Carlyn's Handler

Jan Kieffer (Luxumbourg) – Abel's Handler

Diego Ramirez (Mexico) – Tadhg's Handler

Herminio De Faria (Portugal) – Mei's Handler

Batukhan Gantulga (Mongolia) – Ambra's Handler

_**Slavers**_

Gupta Muhammad Hassan (Egypt)

Gathoni (Kenya)

Nadifa (Somalia)

Ernaq Suersaq (Greenland)

Benjamin Crampton (New Zealand)

_**Other Characters**_

Kiku Honda (Japan) – Wild Werewolf deceased

Lovino Vargas (South Italy) – Relbin Civilian

Feliciano Vargas (North Italy) – Relbin Civilian

Callixtus Vargas (Roman Empire) – Relbin Civilian, merchant

Bernhard Abendroth (Germania) – Relbin Civilian, blacksmith

Emma De Smet (Belgium) – Relbin Civilian

Antonio Fernandez Carriedo (Spain) – Relbin Civilian, merchant

Arthur Kirkland (England) – Relbin Civilian, co-owner of the Hare and Rose

Francis Bonnefoy (France) – Relbin Civilian, co-owner of the Hare and Rose

Lili Zwingli (Liechtenstein) – Relbin Civilian, former lover to Ludwig

Roderich Edelstein (Austria) – Relbin Civilian, nobility

Elizabeta Héderváry (Hungary) – Relbin Civilian, nobility by marriage to Roderich

Heracles Karpusi (Greece) – Relbin Civilian/Werewolf deceased

Bertók (Magyar Hun) – Blacksmith, Vike Civilian

Peter Kirkland (Sealand) – Relbin Civilian, Arthur Kirkland's adopted son

_**Main Characters**_

Gilbert Beilschmidt (Prussia)

Ludwig Abendroth (Germany)

_**Anagrams**_

Relbin – Berlin

Megryna – Germany

Saupris – Prussia

Urisas – Russia

Baserul – Belarus

Kieraun – Ukraine

Vike – Kiev

Atyil – Italy

Aghburm – Hamburg

Asteion – Estonia

Lewas – Wales

Yorwan – Norway

Vitala – Latvia

Apnaj – Japan

Ichan – China

Renidal – Ireland

Stancold – Scotland

Dangeln – England

Hadlants – Shetland

Nykore – Orkney

Merkand – Denmark

Lacinad – Iceland

Neswed – Sweden

Elyhsecles – Seychelles

Efcran – France

Napsi – Spain

Hinautlia – Lithuania

Thanlenders – Netherlands

Typge – Egypt

Ancadac – Canada

Imecara – America

Egerec – Greece

Yekurt – Turkey

Coxiem – Mexico

Guliarab – Bulgaria

Rinaoram – Romania

Logrutap – Portugal

Danlinf – Finland

Neoromac – Cameroon

Yanek – Kenya

Amisalo – Somalia

Watian – Taiwan

Lhanatli – Thailand

Entavim – Vietnam


End file.
